Wendy’s is going to Mexico.
The burger giant has just 28 locations in the country, despite being there 30 years. The company believes it can operate a lot more there, however, and is planning a series of strategies designed to increase that number considerably.
Wendy’s believes it could have “hundreds” of locations in Mexico. The company is developing a new national menu for the country, including limited-time offers tailored to the Mexican consumer—in addition to the chain’s core menu, including burgers and Frosty desserts.
Wendy’s has deals with delivery providers and is building its digital business there. The company also plans a variety of new types of locations, including traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants, new drive-thru strategies and non-traditional development.
Wendy’s franchisee Grupo Refran opened a drive-thru-only location in Escobedo and a delivery kitchen in Monterrey City.
For Wendy’s, the push into Mexico is part of a broader push in international markets. The company has just about 1,000 of its 7,000 restaurants outside the U.S. That’s a fraction of the 12,000 operated by rival Burger King or the 26,000 international locations McDonald’s operates.
Yet Wendy’s has been taking steps to change that. It recently began a push in the United Kingdom, where the brand believes its burgers and its social media feed can resonate with consumers. It has also started building a lot more ghost kitchen locations in many markets, hoping they can help the brand break into new areas.
In Mexico, Wendy’s is looking for franchisees to operate the brand’s restaurants. The company believes some of that could come from its new recruitment initiative, called Own Your Opportunity, in which Wendy’s builds restaurants and then sells them to franchisees and helps with financing, to get new operators into the system.
“We believe increasing diversity of thought and experience will bring new ideas and innovation to Wendy’s, which will help us continue to grow together for decades to come and to achieve our vision of becoming the world’s most thriving and beloved restaurant brand,” Abigail Pringle, Wendy’s president of international and chief development officer, said in a statement.
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