Wendy’s Future

      In today’s society, nothing can grab the attention of a consumer than value. Nowhere is that more true than in the fast food business, and Wendy’s is no exception.
       Customer traffic at Wendy’s has been “flat to slightly down”
this year, Chief Financial Officer Steve Hare told investors
at a conference Wednesday. “I think one of the reasons…is because we’ve been more effective on the premium side than on the value side,” he added.
       Wendy’s is in the midst of revitalizing, both, it’s image and menu, in hopes of becoming viewed as “a cut above”
traditional fast food. The chain’s premium burgers, salads and sandwiches also generate higher profit margins and have thus been of greater interest to franchisees.
       “We’re so large; we also have to be competitive on the value side of the business,” Mr. Hare said. “And that’s one of the areas where we’ve been inconsistent.”
        For 2013, Wendy’s is working with franchisees to come
up with a core menu of 99-cent items that every location will offer, and then another grouping of slightly
higher-priced signature items and more-filling foods that still represent value.
       I, for one, think it is a good idea because it serves as a base model for other fast food chains to follow suit. In Texas, the McDonalds brand has a dollar menu that includes its large drinks but in Las Vegas, Nevada the McDonalds does not. Defining a set value menu to be offered at all corporate and franchised locations will increase the traffic of consumers whom the failing economy has hit, of which there are more of today than just 6 years ago.
        Not everything on an establishment’s menu should designated premium and certainly shouldn’t be priced as such. Though the rising costs of food remain a challenge for all companies, value today will drive your core bottom line up and raise customer satisfaction.