Posted on 08/26/2021 7:49:03 PM PDT by be-baw
New version of brand's No. 1 sales product is being rolled out now in the U.S. and Canada and will be in system fully by September.
The Wendy’s Co. has reformulated its French fries, a project last undertaken in 2010, and the new products are rolling out to some markets now and are expected to be completed in September, the company’s culinary team said Thursday.
Culinary leaders from the Dublin, Ohio-based burger chain said the process of reformulating the skin-on fries was a months-long journey.
The new French fry was designed to retain heat and crispness for between 15 and 30 minutes to accommodate the brand’s growth in drive-thru, carry-out and other off-premises sales channels, said John Li, Wendy’s vice president of culinary innovation.
“They are cut above, literally,” said Emily Kessler, Wendy’s senior specialist for culinary and innovation, in a Zoom press conference Thursday. “And that's because these not-exactly-square French fries are by design.
“One side is built with a thicker side, and it's built for heat retention, while the other side is thinner and that’s really to enhance crispiness because we know our customers want hot and crispy fries every time,” Kessler said.
The company last overhauled its fries in November 2010 when it moved to skin-on potatoes.
Li said the new French fry formula has performed well in consumer research.
“Emily and the whole cross-functional team have spent months and months and months on perfecting the best hot, crispy French fry,” Li said, “and we finally have it. … We put some really hard effort into this with a lot of blood, sweat and tears but to actually end up with a fry that is nearly two-to-one preference versus our primary competitor McDonald's, it's pretty exciting.”
The new French fry formula fits into Wendy’s “Fast Food Done Right” motto, Li said.
Li, who admitted to enjoying a squiggle of ketchup on each of his fries, said, “Soggy fries don't make for a very good eating experience when you try to do that.”
Besides specifying the unsquared cut, Wendy’s adds “a whisper” of coating to enhance the crispiness, Kessler said. While the fries are gluten free, they are cooked in the same hot oil as the chicken, which is battered and does contain traces of gluten.
The hold time of 15 to 30 minutes for the fries also helps address the off-premises challenge of moisture getting into the potatoes.
“We know COVID changed the game when it comes to how our customers are getting their food,” Kessler said. “That accelerated the need to develop to make sure our fries are withstanding that delivery experience.”
Fries are not only the best-selling item on the Wendy’s menu, Li said, but they are the first product sampled by customers from the bag when they leave the drive-thru. “Our opportunity was to make sure that we were delivering our promise,” he said.
Wendy's Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger.jpgWendy’s culinary team also said that next week it will add a Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger to the higher-end “Made to Crave” menu, at a suggested price of $5.59 at participating restaurants.
The new cheeseburger boasts features a beef patty topped with Wendy's signature Applewood smoked bacon, custom bacon sauce, crispy onions, American cheese and a creamy cheddar cheese spread in a new cheddar bun that is toasted.
For the second quarter ended July 4, Wendy’s net income rose to $65.7 million, or 29 cents a share, from $24.9 million, or 11 cents a share, in the same period last year. Revenues rose to $493.3 million from $402.3 million in last year’s quarter.
Same-store sales were up 16.1% in the United States, up 31.4% internationally and up 17.4% systemwide.
Wendy's, founded in 1969, has more than 6,800 restaurants worldwide.
We have food trailers at the local farmers markets that only make fries.
No other food.
No drinks.
They take whole potatoes, put them in a press to cut into fries, then deep fry and salt.
Incredible taste!
“The food is fine. They need to stop hiring people who look like gang bangers”
It would be great if they could. In my town (blue state), every convenience store I’ve been to has a sign in front telling customers they’re hiring. My local BK has a big banner in front saying they’re hiring.
The $300 unemployment giveaway from the federal government is supposed to end Sept 4. That should help. We’ll see.
Many red states have refused to accept the fed payment to able-bodied people to stay at home. I wonder if their local businesses are getting enough people.
Hey Deaf dude, why don’t you go find another thread to troll?
I ordered something at McDonalds yesterday that cost $2.66. I gave the young man at the window two one dollar bills, two quarters, a dime a nickel and a penny.
He laid the money on the shelf in front of him, and stared at it for ten minutes. Maybe no one had ever paid him with cash before. He finally decided that was correct Same Newell Drive let me drive to the pickup window.
I used to like them but their chicken is too salty and their buns are full of sugar. Like most fast food and carry out, I lost my taste for them.
The only place I can get a fresh hot burger is at Culvers. Made to order. My last burger at Wendys was luke warm
So true story: I was online at Wendys just after they changed their fries recipe last time, when they were advertising that they were made with sea salt. And two air-headed teenyboppers had the following conversation (I wish I was making this up, lol):
1: I don’t think I’ll like their new french fries. It says they’re made with sea salt and I don’t like the ocean.
2: Oh don’t worry about that. Sea salt doesn’t come from the ocean, they just call it that.
I liked wendys old frys, today they suck, and today mcdonalds fries are like soggy cardboard.
Just nasty
“The only place I can get a fresh hot burger is at Culvers.”
I love Culver’s. Making burgers to order makes a big difference. I still want to try more of their menu, in particular a fish sandwich.
culvers has the best safest burgers that usually are consistent high quality
some dont clean their grill enough and you get a bitter crispy acrylic buildup
for best bet get to them when they first open, and avoid deep inside urban areas spots
If you’ve not had fries in rice bran oil, you’re missing out. I’m lucky to have 2 (yes, only 2) places I can go grab a snack when I’m not making air fries with EVOO at home.
Long story short, all the seed oils are toxic. Soy as well. Not getting into those statements. So most fried food is out for me unless made at home in my own fryer. I also like Five Guys, but for me the fries are not made properly (they use a method which technically is for Belgian fries, but they under cook the finish) and the peanut oil doesn’t sit well with me.
Agreed on lard (leaf lard). Beer battered cod and fries in homemade tartar sauce.
Mmmmmmmmm...
CFA fries the waffle fries in Rapeseed oil and the chicken in peanut oil. FYI.
Yes, I agree. I like Five Guys, but a meal for two there can easily run like $40... which is crazy for fast food. I know a lot of good sit-down burger places where it’s possible to eat for the same or less money.
This sounds controversial, but food chains spend literally millions tweaking their recipes. I have a niece in food technology for Domino’s and they’ve sent her all over the world testing locally sourced ingredients for product consistency.
CC
Back in the 80’s Wendy’s had the best fries of any fast food chain. Then they messed with them and ruined them. I consider there fries right now to be the worst and on the verge of puke. All they have do is go back to what they once had. They were large and very potato tasting. Not greasy and not even real crispy. Kind of like the ones you buy in the store and bake on a cookie sheet.
McDonalds fries use to be the best until they changed their oil.....now the fries have a coating on them that tastes crappy....
Heck we use to stop for their fires alone they were so good.....now I never order them even with a meal.
In and out fries are made from the Kennebec potato which doesn’t hold together very well.
Our hometown Fair had trailers with just French Fries that were delicious. ..then even they changed the oil and tastes just awful now!
Wonder what the best oil is to use to French fry potatoes at home? And I want the real oil taste not these nasty oils out there.
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