Quality is our Recipe.

You don’t get to open over 7000 locations globally by cutting corners. Our success comes from sticking to the mission of delivering delicious, high-quality meals packed with freshness and flavour.   

After a year of fine-tuning the Wendy’s menu in Australia, we’re ready to continue our mission of quality without compromise. After all, you’ve got some incredible ingredients here, so we’re sourcing all our produce locally. 

We’re saying ‘Yeah, Nah’ to frozen—our beef and chicken are cooked fresh in-house every time. 

Step into Wendy’s and you’ll see quality isn’t just in what’s being served. It’s in the welcoming, laid-back vibe where guests instantly feel right at home, with an open invitation to great food and even better service. Nothing’s a hassle—just a relaxed hangout that feels like you’re with friends and family. Group hug! 

Come and say “Hey” at our Queensland, Gold Coast location.

How time flies!

A quick fly through Wendy’s history so you can learn more about the food we craft, the team-members and franchisees who have become Wendy’s family, and the way we’ve grown.
November 1969

November 15, 1969 – First Wendy’s Opens

The beginning of a journey – on November 15, 1969, Dave Thomas opened his very first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio at 257 East Broad Street. In no time, the quick-service chain became known for its square beef patties, made from fresh beef, and iconic Frosty® desserts.
November 1970

First Pick-Up Window

Wendy’s introduced the first modern drive through to the world; what Dave Thomas coined the “Pick-Up Window”. This innovation was so revolutionary that customers needed instructions on how to talk through the speaker to place an order. Originally called the “drive-in window,” Dave wanted to change the name from something that could attract cruisers and joyriders.
March 1978

1,000th Wendys Restaurant Opens

The 1,000th Wendy’s restaurant opened in Springfield, Tennessee and broke records for being the company’s 1,000th restaurant in just 100 months.
November 1980

2,000th Wendy’s Restaurant Opens

1980 marked the milestone of 2,000 Wendy’s restaurants…and counting.
January 1984

“Where’s the Beef?” Commercial Aired

Clara Peller became an overnight sensation when she inspected a fluffy hamburger bun that lacked in the beef department and exclaimed, “Where’s the Beef?”. The tagline became so popular that the advertisement led to a 31% boost in Wendy’s annual revenue, and even sparked a merchandise line for fans.
February 1985

3,000th Wendy's Restaurant Opens

The French Quarter in New Orleans was the location of this milestone – the 3,000th restaurant. You can guess by now that there’s more to come.
December 1992

4,000th Wendy’s Restaurant Opens

The French Quarter in New Orleans was the location of this milestone – the 3,000th restaurant. You can guess by now that there’s more to come.
November 1994

Wendys turns 25

Wendy’s celebrated its milestone 25th birthday with the best present ever – all-time record systemwide sales of $4.2 billion in 1994.
March 1997

5,000th Wendy’s Restaurant Opens

The 5,000th Wendy’s restaurant opened in Columbus, Ohio as a Wendy’s/Tim Hortons combination unit.
October 2001

6,000th Wendys Restaurant Opens

Wendy’s took another step towards international growth when it opened the 6,000th restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The two-story restaurant was built to hold 224 customers.
August 2007

The Baconmator

In 2007, Wendy’s stacked two fresh beef patties and paired it with American cheese, SIX slices of Applewood smoked bacon, and a soft bun. The iconic Baconator – the best way to eat a double bacon cheeseburger – was introduced for those Wendy’s customers who wanted even more craveable burger options.
January 2018

500th International Restaurant

The Wendy’s Family continued to grow around the world as the company opened its 500th international restaurant in Guatemala City, Guatemala. In 2017 and 2018, Wendy’s welcomed nearly 100 net new international restaurants and made great strides in development plans to Delight Every Customer on an international level.
June 2019

Wendy’s Wins the Cannes Lion Social & Influencer Grand Prix

Wendy’s created a digital ‘Wendy’ to hit the multiplayer battle royale videogame “Fortnite.” This character ignored all the other players, usually the main targets, and went for freezers instead. Making a statement that Wendy’s uses fresh beef, the Company received the Social & Influencer Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
November 2019

Wendy’s Celebrates 50 Years

Every November, the Wendy’s Family comes together to celebrate and honor our founder, Dave Thomas, and the founding of the first Wendy’s restaurant in 1969. The 2019 celebration was more special than ever as we celebrated 50 years of our beloved and iconic brand.
November 2021

1,000th International Restaurant

On November 16, 2021, Wendy’s opened its 1,000th international restaurant, located in Croydon, south of London in the United Kingdom. It marked an exciting time to be a part of Wendy's and we were proud to achieve this significant growth milestone with the help of our franchise partners, dedicated restaurant crew, support center team and supplier partners around the globe.
March 2022

7,000th Restaurant

Wendy’s opened its 7,000th restaurant in Dacula, Georgia! This restaurant features the Smart design with a Y-lane that offers Wendy’s fans of Dacula an easy and quick drive-thru experience.
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