It's a name that probably doesn't mean much to French consumers.
"Wendy's" is the third largest hamburger fast food chain in the world, behind McDonald's and Burger King.
And she could soon land in France.
Burger lovers will have to be patient, however, as no date has yet been announced for the opening of the first Wendy's restaurant in France.
Contacted by
Le
Figaro
, the company confirms that France "
fits well into Wendy's European expansion strategy
", without giving more details on the terms of this establishment.
The development of the brand on French soil could follow the British example, by setting up by master-franchise, under the leadership of a group specializing in catering.
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Founded in 1969 in Ohio by Dave Thomas, Wendy's has nearly 7,000 restaurants worldwide.
On the menu: a famous square steak burger, a bacon cheeseburger, the
Baconator
, as well as a milkshake-inspired ice cream, the
Frosty Dairy Dessert
.
Acclaimed across the Atlantic, the brand has managed to export to around thirty countries in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
A delicate installation in Europe
Only the Old Continent will have put up some resistance to it.
Germany, Italy, Greece, Great Britain… all of the chain's attempts at European expansion between the 80s and 90s failed.
Then, in 2021, on the strength of its takeover by Triarc, Wendy's made a timid foray into the British market with the opening of around ten franchised establishments.
This return, which was to serve as a “
test
” for a more massive establishment on the continent, turned out to be positive.
Enough in any case for Wendy's to now think about launching an assault on the French market.
But for Bernard Boutboul, president of Gira, a consulting firm specializing in catering, the establishment of the American chain in France will not be easy: "
the French fast food sector is already very competitive
", he observes. .
In addition to the giants Burger King and McDonald's, Wendy's will have to face competition from other American chains recently landed in France, such as Steak'n'Shake (29 restaurants in France) or Five Guys (26 restaurants).
"
Beyond the Paris region, it is clear that these newcomers are not flourishing, because they do not have the historic base of McDonald's
", underlines the expert, who predicts a mixed success for the Ohio chain on French soil.
"
The burger market is already saturated and the Wendy's offer does not really add value
,” considers Bernard Boutboul.
It remains for the American channel to thwart the predictions.
With more than 35% of regular consumers of fast food in France, according to ANSES, the bet does not seem impossible to hold.