Wendy’s Changes Their Look; Goes Upscale
Much like their fast-food competitors have done over the last few years, Wendy's is gearing up for an image overhaul that they hope will revitalize their profits.
Wendy's Co. is betting that a sleek new look for its restaurants, coupled with a revamped menu featuring its new premium Dave's Hot 'N Juicy burger, will rejuvenate its image as a higher-end fast food chain.
The Dublin, Ohio-based company plans to make its airy new designs with metallic highlights a key part of its efforts to reinvent itself and move on from a failed combination with the Arby's chain.
Company officials expect the roll-out to come over a period of the next few years; They also expect that these changes will be the most dramatic in Wendy's history.
"The next three years are going to be most intense period of change in the history of the Wendy's brand," CEO Emil Brolick said.
The company had already said in January that it plans to remodel 50 restaurants and build 20 new ones this year to feature light wood, more natural lighting and flat-screen TVs.
Ten stores were remodeled in 2011. Brolick said customers are giving the new look "rave reviews."
The plans were discussed in a conference call with analysts after Wendy's released its fourth-quarter results, which it had issued on a preliminary basis in January. As part of its broader growth efforts, the company said it plans to increase its capital expenditures this year to $225 million, a $78 million increase from last year.
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