Wendy’s

Wendy’s is a global quick-service restaurant brand best known for its fresh, never-frozen beef hamburgers, square patties, and signature Frosty desserts. The menu centers on burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, salads, and a growing breakfast offering, giving the brand an all-day sales profile that works in a wide range of retail and travel-oriented settings. Restaurants are a mix of company-operated and franchised locations, all built around made-to-order food and a consistent guest experience.

The company traces its roots to 1969, when founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s in Columbus, Ohio and named it after his daughter, Melinda “Wendy” Thomas. From that single restaurant, the chain gained traction through its square burgers, distinctive Frosty, and an early emphasis on food quality that helped it stand out in the fast-food category. Over time, Wendy’s grew into one of the largest hamburger chains in the United States and expanded into international markets, becoming a staple in roadside, suburban, and neighborhood retail formats.

As of December 2024, Wendy’s operates roughly 7,000 restaurants worldwide, anchored by a dense U.S. footprint and a meaningful and growing presence in international markets. The brand’s size, seasoning in both mature and emerging trade areas, and long public-company track record provide a level of stability and name recognition that many projects seek for traffic and co-tenancy.

Over the last five years, Wendy’s has focused on modernizing its restaurants, improving drive-thru and digital ordering, and upgrading building designs to fit a wider variety of sites. The brand has leaned into formats that work in high-traffic urban corridors, traditional suburban pads, and travel routes with strong daytime populations and convenient access to major roads. This period has also included a renewed push into breakfast and digital channels, which has shifted more sales into morning and off-peak periods and supported investment in new-build and remodeled locations.

Today, Wendy’s is actively growing in select U.S. markets and targeted international regions, concentrating on sites that can capture steady commuter, worker, and household traffic. The company’s combination of scale, franchise-driven expansion model, and flexible prototypical formats positions it as a durable anchor or complementary user across shopping centers, outparcel pads, mixed-use projects, and travel-oriented real estate.