Wendy’s just gave us another reason to spend all our money on fast food: a full breakfast menu. Coming in 2020, Wendy’s will begin serving breakfast items like The Frosty-ccino, The Honey Butter Chicken Sandwich, and The Breakfast Baconator. Sounds like a dream. If any of those menu items sound familiar, it’s because Wendy’s has been serving both the bacon and chicken breakfast sandwiches at select locations around the US to test them out before the big launch next year. What most Wendy’s fans don’t know is that the fast food franchise took a shot at launching a full breakfast menu years ago. Back in 1985, Wendy’s announced – for the first time – that they would be rolling out a new breakfast menu. However, it was a poor business decision, and the fast food chain ended up over-investing in the initiative, with little return. This time around, the breakfast menu will still be a huge investment yet again, but Wendy’s is confident their menu will yield results – eventually, that is. With approximately $20 million invested up front, the fast food chain is projecting that they will not see profit from the breakfast menu until 2021. In the mean time, they plan to onboard nearly 20,000 new team members. One way the company plans to cut back on upfront costs is by only using equipment they already have in-shop; the breakfast items were crafted so no new equipment is required to prepare them. In addition to the breakfast sandwiches and Frosty-ccino mentioned above, the Wendy’s breakfast menu will inlcude:
- Maple Bacon Chicken Croissant
- Sausage, Egg, & Swiss Croissant
- Bacon, Egg, & Swiss Croissant
- Sausage Egg, & Cheese Biscuit
- Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit
- Classic Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich
- Classic Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich
- Cold Brew Iced Coffee
- Hot Coffee
- Seasoned Potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Seasonal Fruit
- Dave’s Craft Lemonades
So, why now? In addition to Wendy’s recent financial success, the fast food breakfast market is booming. And, after the success of competitors’ breakfast menus – Chick-Fil-A, McDonald’s, Burger King – Wendy’s has decided it’s finally the right time to ask the world for a do-over.
