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Wendy’s Serves Up Big Kiosk Expansion As Wage Hikes Hit Fast Food
Investors.com ^ | May 11, 2016 | Jed Graham

Posted on 05/12/2016 7:36:05 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog

Wendy’s (WEN) said that self-service ordering kiosks will be made available across its 6,000-plus restaurants in the second half of the year as minimum wage hikes and a tight labor market push up wages.

It will be up to franchisees whether to deploy the labor-saving technology, but Wendy’s President Todd Penegor did note that some franchise locations have been raising prices to offset wage hikes.

McDonald’s (MCD) has been testing self-service kiosks. But Wendy’s, which has been vocal about embracing labor-saving technology, is launching the biggest potential expansion.

It’s not surprising that some franchisees might face more of a labor-cost squeeze than company restaurants. All 258 Wendy’s restaurants in California, where the minimum wage rose to $10 an hour this year and will gradually rise to $15, are franchise-operated. Likewise, about 75% of 200-plus restaurants in New York are run by franchisees. New York’s fast-food industry wage rose to $10.50 in New York City and $9.75 in the rest of the state at the start of 2016, also on the way to $15.

Still, Penegor said that increased customer counts more than price hikes drove the chain’s 3.6% same-store sales increase in the first quarter.

Although profit exceeded Wall Street estimates, Wendy’s shares dived nearly 9% Wednesday because of weak second-quarter sales.

(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fast; food; minimum; wage
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And so it begins. In a probably-related story several franchised Wendy's stores in my area closed recently.
1 posted on 05/12/2016 7:36:05 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Buckeye McFrog
and a tight labor market push up wages.

Really??? Tight labor market with over 92 million not working.

2 posted on 05/12/2016 7:40:13 AM PDT by A message
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To: Buckeye McFrog

As long as it's the same quality. ;)

3 posted on 05/12/2016 7:40:51 AM PDT by beaversmom
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To: Buckeye McFrog

4 posted on 05/12/2016 7:41:16 AM PDT by Red Badger (WE DON'T NEED NO STEENKING TAGLINES!...........................)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Where will I get my surly fries?


5 posted on 05/12/2016 7:42:19 AM PDT by Donglalinger
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To: Buckeye McFrog

You mean, instead of an ordering system that’s been unchanged since 50 years ago when Jack-in-the-Box pioneered the drive-thru with the crappy intercom connection to the illiterate inside, I’ll be able to mash a few buttons and get exactly what I want? Count me in.


6 posted on 05/12/2016 7:42:51 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Make America Normal Again)
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To: beaversmom

WOULD.............YOU.............LIKE............FRIES...................WITH ................THAT?................................Beep!...................

7 posted on 05/12/2016 7:43:15 AM PDT by Red Badger (WE DON'T NEED NO STEENKING TAGLINES!...........................)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

"Enjoy your extra *BIG ASS TACO* now with more *MOLECULES*"

8 posted on 05/12/2016 7:43:58 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Buckeye McFrog

-—...as minimum wage hikes and a tight labor market push up wages...-—

IBD is losing their edge. What do they mean ‘tight’ labor market?

Don’t tell me they drink the Kool Aid too.


9 posted on 05/12/2016 7:48:30 AM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

No liberal will ever admit that liberal policies all fail. After a few years, they will be asking for $20 per hour. And that will fail too, prompting them to ask for $25...


10 posted on 05/12/2016 7:50:08 AM PDT by I want the USA back (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. Orwell.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Wendy’s was founded by an orphan that didn’t finish high school. He humbly worked his way up and created a great brand that was very successful. He died universally respected.

And now the people that work there want to take the easy way through life so they can buy a better smartphone and a bigger TV. Not to mention how many of them are “college educated”, but expect salaries that dont correspond to their worth with or without the worthless degree.

Bring on the Kiosks!


11 posted on 05/12/2016 7:52:15 AM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: Buckeye McFrog
New waitress:


12 posted on 05/12/2016 7:52:22 AM PDT by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: VanDeKoik
Wendy’s was founded by an orphan that didn’t finish high school. He humbly worked his way up and created a great brand that was very successful. He died universally respected.

After he died his successors quickly steered the ship into an iceberg. They sold the company to Arby's, a company run by a bunch of Democrat hacks. Wendy's was far more profitable than Arby's, so they jettisoned Arby's (sold it off) and became the new Wendy's Corp. The hypocrisy being that they give SO much money to the Democrat Party who runs on a platform of raising minimum wages.


13 posted on 05/12/2016 7:56:51 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: VanDeKoik

But for those who live in 0bama’s world, “he didn’t build that”. He was just lucky. So the followers think they are entitled to $15/hour, free phones, free college, and bigger TVs. Human rights, ya know?


14 posted on 05/12/2016 7:58:45 AM PDT by NEMDF
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To: MichaelCorleone

By “tight labor market” I think they are referring to that subset of the minimum-wage labor pool that will actually show up on time, demonstrate good personal hygiene, refrain from working drunk or stoned, and not engage in destructive sabotage on the job. Sadly that’s a shrinking group in America, 2016.


15 posted on 05/12/2016 8:00:51 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: VanDeKoik
'And now the people that work there want to take the easy way through life so they can buy a better smartphone and a bigger TV. Not to mention how many of them are “college educated”, but expect salaries that dont correspond to their worth with or without the worthless degree.'

That's across the spectrum of the labor market. Global wage arbitrage, free trade, immigration and similar factors are putting immense pressure on the market.

Automation and such is a natural process, without the employees wanting more money. Innovation will come to alot of jobs and displace workers in the future that were common first steps in the labor market.

We can mock fast food worker, but white collar jobs are not immune from such innovation pressures in the future.

16 posted on 05/12/2016 9:25:52 AM PDT by Theoria (I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive)
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To: MichaelCorleone

It’s a tight labor market because the government pays people not to work. Stop the damned food stamps and when they get hungry, they will look for a job.


17 posted on 05/12/2016 9:59:07 AM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ( Anything FREELY-GIVEN by the government was TAKEN from someone else.)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

..unintended consequences. When will liberals figure this out?


18 posted on 05/12/2016 10:49:00 AM PDT by Sam Gamgee
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To: Buckeye McFrog
But seriously folks ... automation is coming to the fast food industry pretty soon, minimum wage hike or no.

The whole technology has been heading in that direction for a while. The minimum wage hike might give it a little shove to happen a little sooner, that's all.

19 posted on 05/12/2016 11:06:38 AM PDT by Salman
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To: Salman

kiosks are already pretty much out of date before being implemented.

orders placed and received from phones will take over the business of placing orders, paying and entering the order to production.

such a process is already the norm in china and will certainly migrate here. the hand held computer and a restaurant bot associated with a pay bot will eliminate not only the need for people but the need for a physical plastic card.

We are far behind the chinese in not only he technology but the willingness to absorb the method


20 posted on 05/12/2016 11:13:24 AM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....)
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