Targeting locations like Bath, Plymouth, and Exeter, Wendy's, the American fast-food behemoth, is aiming for increasing its footprint in the South West of England. This action fits within a larger plan to spread its presence throughout the 33 sites it now runs around the United Kingdom.
To drive this growth, Wendy's has teamed with franchisee Khidmat Limited based in Harrow. Having earlier in the year become a franchisee, Khidmat is currently concentrating on building new locations in the South West. Renowned for its square hamburgers, spicy chicken sandwiches, and other trademark foods like chili baked potatoes, the Ohio-headquartered firm seeks to establish perhaps 400 outlets around the country.
"Wendy's has experienced amazing worldwide growth in recent years, making significant investments in local resources to strengthen its foothold for its ambitious expansion plans," said Jessica Hill, a surveyor specialized in restaurants and leisure at Savills. Working with Khidmat in the South West will enable Wendy's pipeline of future openings to be strengthened and its long-term aim of 400 outlets in the UK will be reached.
Given the heavy foot traffic from visitors and students, Khidmat is especially focusing on central sites in Bath, Exeter, and Plymouth. With an ideal size of about 2,500 square feet, they are looking at places including drive-through choices, shopping centers, and retail parks.
Another step in Wendy's UK development plan comes from their launch of their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Liverpool area at the Academy Business Park in Kirkby.
The announcement comes at a time when businesses like Wendy's hoping to profit on customer demand for fast food options are witnessing a comeback in the UK's retail and food service markets. Wendy's visibility and client base in the UK might be much enhanced by the deliberate placement in highly visited cities.