Wendy's To Lean Heavily on International Growth in Latest Plans for Expansion

Wendy’s recently announced plans for upcoming expansion, with the majority of its unit growth focused internationally.

The fast-food burger chain has a goal of opening 1,000 new restaurants globally by 2028 to increase to a total of 8,100 to 8,300 units worldwide. The expansion is expected to be primarily driven by growth outside of the United States, with foreign markets accounting for 70 percent of the planned additions.

“In order to execute on our strategy, we are investing in building new restaurants around the globe and deploying technology that will enhance the customer experience and increase restaurant profitability,” said CFO Ken Cook. “Our objective is to create value for our customers, our franchisees, and our shareholders.”

Over the past three years, Wendy’s has added nearly 300 new foreign restaurants, increasing its international footprint to more than 1,300 locations across 33 markets. The company plans to accelerate its international expansion and to have 2,000 restaurants in four years.

Earlier this year, Wendy’s announced the opening of its 500th restaurant in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA) region with a new location in Nagano, Japan. Wendy's also recently celebrated its 160th restaurant opening in India, and the first of 200 planned restaurants in Australia opened in January. Wendy's also continues to expand in Europe, with development agreements for new restaurants in Romania, Scotland, and Ireland, all set to open this year.

Wendy's plans to add 125 new restaurants in Latin America and is targeting other key international markets in the UK and India.

“We’re focusing on Mexico, turning it into a foundation for continued growth across Central and South America, capitalizing on strong consumer demand in these regions,” said E.J. Wunsch, president of international for Wendy’s.

In India and the Middle East, over 150 net new restaurants were added in the past three years. By 2028 in Europe, over 150 Wendy’s restaurants should be in at least six countries. Wendy's utilizes a franchise model for international expansion, with opportunities for multi-unit developers to operate under licenses in specific markets.

Wendy's is adapting its menus to cater to local tastes and dietary preferences in various markets, such as offering chicken and vegetarian options in India or beef bacon on the Beefanator in Saudi Arabia, and bone-in chicken in Asia Pacific.

The full article about Wendy’s plans for international expansion can be found HERE.