American burger chain Wendy’s will open its first Australian store (after being in business for almost four decades) on the Gold Coast this week.
The chain is the third-largest fast-food chain in the world - known for its square burger patties - with the brand to become the most significant challenger yet to established fast food giants such as McDonald’s and Guzman y Gomez in Australia.
The Surfers Paradise location is the first of 200 stores aiming to open, as part of a deal with Flynn Restaurant Group, looking to be complete by 2034.
The company operates thousands of Wendy’s, Arby’s, Applebee’s and Taco Bell stores in the United States, and expanded into Australia two years ago after buying the rights to Pizza Hut from private equity firm Allegro Funds.
Currently, Wendy’s has approximately 7000 restaurants around the world, including in Ireland and the UK, where it relaunched in 2021 after a two-decade pause following two previous launches.
“Australia is a strategic market for long-term growth for Wendy’s. Flynn Restaurant Group has incredible experience in the restaurant space, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with them,” Wendy’s chief development officer Abigail Pringle said in a statement.
At the time of writing, Wendy's Co.'s (NASDAQ: WEN) stock price was US$15.01, with a market cap of $3.06 billion.