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Wendy's: Change Over Time Essay examples

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How and why has Wendy’s changed over time to become the restaurant it is today? Wendy’s is a quick serve, fast food burger chain, and is famous for their square patty, fresh, never frozen hamburgers. They are also well known for their catchy advertising and slogan’s. Wendy’s became the restaurant it is today through rapid expansion, the addition of new menu items, and incorporating creative advertising, all while never losing its identity of producing the freshest products with the freshest ingredients. Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. He founded Wendy’s because he complained he could not find a good burger to eat in Columbus. Thomas named the restaurant after his eight-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, …show more content…

From November of 1979 to February of 1985 1,233 more stores were opened, making it 3,000 in all. However, this speedy pace would slow down. It took almost seven years to open another one thousand restaurants. Wendy’s now has over 6,500 restaurants in the U.S. and 27 countries worldwide, and as of 2012 had overtaken Burger King for the number two spot among burger chains. Unprecedented expansion rates and success early on has led to continued success for Wendy’s restaurant chain. Clever advertising campaigns throughout the years have also shaped Wendy’s into who they are today. The ads helped to support growth in their early years, while also boosting sales. The first Wendy’s ad aired locally in 1972, and was named “C’mon to Wendy’s.” The ad stressed their “Quality is our Recipe” slogan and featured Wendy dancing with hamburgers. In 1977, Wendy’s first national television commercial made them the first in the restaurant business to have a national ad with less than one thousand stores. Known as the "Hot 'n Juicy" campaign, the ad aired for three years and won a Clio Award for creativity, which would set the bar for future Wendy’s ad campaigns. The ad attacked other burger restaurants, suggesting that their burgers were “dry and chewy,” while proclaiming their burgers to be “Hot ‘n Juicy,” and would show customers wiping the grease from their mouths after taking a bite.

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