Wendy’s, the popular American burger chain, plans to open around 400 restaurants in the UK as part of its wider expansion across Europe.
The chain, known for its quirky square burgers, is making a return to the UK in 2021 after a two-decade hiatus. Since then, it has expanded to 37 restaurants, 12 of which are owned by the company.
During a recent call with investors, company executives were pressed about why Wendy’s still lags behind rival American burger chains in terms of the number of UK locations.
Gunther Plosch, Wendy’s CFO, stated that the company’s goal is to expand to 45-50 restaurants in Great Britain by the end of the year.
“We’re building corporate restaurants and we’ve obviously acquired a number of franchise partners who are very excited,” Plosch said.
“We have always said that Great Britain is an important strategic market for us as a kind of beachhead for the rest of Europe.
“We definitely expect over time (the UK) to give us 400 restaurants. We’ll see how long that takes, but we think that’s our fair share of that market.
Plosch also mentioned that Wendy’s is actively exploring new expansion opportunities in Europe, including potential ventures in Ireland and Spain.
Kirk Tanner, president and CEO of Wendy’s, said: “We continue to work across Europe at this time, so we believe it’s a significant opportunity for us.”
Founded in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio, Wendy’s has a wide presence with more than 6,000 restaurants across the United States.
The chain is set to create more than 400 jobs as it expands its UK presence this year.
Future restaurants will be launched in a number of locations including Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, London, Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, Cambridge and Newcastle.