Wendy's Just Announced Major Changes Are Coming

As generations change, so do food and beverage companies. After about decade or so in business, rebranding is an important step to ensure your businesses' success continues, according to T.E. Digital. Apple has rebranded three times, Pepsi has rebranded on 11 occasions, and Starbucks has changed things up four times. Another example is Taco Bell's upgrade in 2016. According to Lippincott, the brand made its bell logo more recognizable and customizable with a modern sans-serif font for the name.

Per QSR, Subway underwent a similar rebranding effort about a year later. One major difference was an arrow-curved logo you may not have noticed. "You see that now in our packaging. It will be in our new restaurants. It's like a signature Subway stamp," vice president of operations Trevor Haynes said. Not to be outdone by recent rebrands, Wendy's is now choosing to step into the next generation with a big change.

In fall 2022, Wendy's plans to revamp its restaurant designs to reflect a more modern and optimized theme, per PR Newswire. The chain's new buildings will have a pick-up window for delivery orders, a more efficient kitchen, a mobile order pickup center, updated technology, and next-level infrastructure. The update has been appropriately named Global Next Gen. "Global Next Gen enhances the customer experience across ordering channels and streamlines operations for our crew, all while creating better returns for franchisees," Wendy's president Todd Penegor said.

According to Kitchen Collaborative, the last Wendy's rebrand took place in 2012 with only minor changes. Over a two-year period, the company tested out many logos before settling on Wendy, its traditional red appearance, and an upward slope in its name. The revamp simplified the signage by removing the "old fashioned hamburgers" writing.

In a recent earnings report, it was revealed that first-quarter sales growth wasn't as strong at Wendy's as it was for other fast food establishments, such as Burger King and McDonald's (via CNN). Perhaps this new update will propel the Wendy's brand into the next century.