Wendy’s U.S. Growth Update: New Restaurant Openings in 2025

It’s never been more exciting to grow with Wendy’s, and we believe in our potential to grow faster than ever before. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Wendy’s opened 74 new restaurants globally, 28 of which opened in the U.S., making significant progress against our global net unit growth target of 2-3% for 2025. Using data-driven insights to inform strategic investments in high-potential markets, we're on a mission to bring Wendy’s fresh, famous food to more customers across the country.

"Growth-minded franchisees are key to growing our brand in 2025 and beyond. Every new restaurant opening strengthens the brand, creates opportunity in our communities and builds momentum. We are just getting started.” - Abigail Pringle, President, U.S.

To ensure we are positioning developing franchisees for long-term and sustainable growth, every new Wendy’s restaurant is a Global Next Gen format, Wendy’s latest restaurant design engineered for speed and efficiency. Global Next Gen ushers an exciting era for Wendy’s, bringing together cutting-edge technology and thoughtful design to deliver exceptional service, all while laying the groundwork for increased returns:

• Technology in Action: Digital menu boards, self-order kiosks and our digital ordering assistant, Wendy’s FreshAi®, enable our crew to deliver a more consistent and engaging experience for every guest.
• Simplified Construction: Global Next Gen incorporates a streamlined building process, reducing capital expenditures.
• Redesigned Kitchen: The new layout enhances maneuverability in the kitchen, improving kitchen output capacity by nearly 50%.
• Energy Efficiency: Improved energy usage through advanced lighting and specialized HVAC systems delivers an estimated 10% in energy savings.

Global Next Gen is our most efficient restaurant design featuring flexible formats and operational benefits such as dedicated mobile and delivery pick-up points to reflect our customers’ digital ordering preferences. 

“This quarter’s development progress is a testament to the dedication and drive from our development teams and restaurant operators. As we continue to grow across the U.S., we are looking for excellent partners who share our commitment to delivering on our brand promise: Fresh, Famous Food, Made Right, For You.” - Tatiana Lambert, Vice President, U.S. Chief Development Officer 

Wendy’s is further unlocking growth by supporting new and existing franchisees through industry-leading incentives, including our Build-to-Suit development program. The program helps great operators grow faster by reducing the financial barrier to entry and offering turnkey support throughout key startup milestones like site selection and construction.  

Franchisee Spotlight: Mike Zak, Wenzak 

One of those operators is Mike Zak, President of Wenzak, a Wendy’s franchisee who just opened a brand-new restaurant in Coolidge, Arizona leveraging the Build-to-Suit program. The local community welcomed Wendy’s with open arms, lining up early and keeping the Wenzak team busy with orders on opening day and beyond. This is Mike’s first Build-to-Suit location in the greater Phoenix area in 2025 enabling his entry into a new market, and his team has plans to continue to develop new restaurants in this market and other trade areas where they operate today. 

“The Build-to-Suit program at Wendy's has truly transformed our growth journey. By lowering the financial barriers and providing comprehensive support from site selection to construction, we've been able to focus on delivering exceptional food and service. This program has been instrumental in our expansion, and we're excited to continue growing with Wendy's.” - Mike Zak, President, Wenzak

International Growth  

From an international perspective, we saw incredible growth in the first quarter with openings in our stronghold markets, such as Mexico and Canada, and new markets, like Australia. We had a record number of openings in Canada, adding the most restaurants in the first quarter over the past 25 years. We also hit a milestone with the opening of our 500^th restaurant in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, which continues to be our fastest growing region. 

Join the Wendy’s Growth Journey 

In addition to the restaurant openings in the first quarter, we are continuously adding development commitments that bolster our long-term pipeline. By leveraging our flexible, innovative Global Next Gen restaurant design and offering incentives and programs like Build-to-Suit, we are empowering our franchisees and development teams to grow deliberately. Wendy’s growth strategy is ambitious, as we expand our brand presence across the U.S. and internationally with entrepreneurs that share our drive for growth at all levels. Whether you're an experienced operator or new to franchising, there has never been a better time to grow with Wendy’s.  

*This is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a franchise. It is for information purposes only.  For more information about franchise opportunities, visit the link below.