Wendy’s Rolling Out Next Gen Store Design To Meet Evolving Customer Needs

August 16, 2023 by Dave Haynes

Here’s a look at how Wendy’s is tweaking its stores to align with shifting consumer demands, notably a jump in digital orders.

The QSR giant has opened a pair of stores in Kansas and Oklahoma that were built to its Global Next Gen restaurant design standard and the plan is to have more than 200 similar stores operating by the end of next year.

What’s interesting in the context of digital signage is that order counter digital menu boards are a fundamental part of the design mix, but there are also self-service order screens and areas designed in for meal delivery drivers.

From QSR:

Abigail Pringle, Wendy’s president of international and chief development officer, said Global Next Gen unlocks 400 times the capacity for digital orders. “By bringing Global Next Gen from cutting-edge blueprints to successful openings in less than one year, Wendy’s global structure is enabling system-wide expansion optimized to the digital age,” she said in a statement.

As of Q2, Wendy’s digital sales dollars increased 25 percent, year-over-year—a result that benefitted from late-night advertising and expanded operational hours—while holding steady at 12 percent sales mix. Starting this quarter, Wendy’s digital sales definition will also include in-restaurant mobile scans to closer resemble the rest of the industry. 

The post just makes a passing reference to drive-thru, but that is also – unsurprisingly – a core offer.