Wendy’s plans to add 1,000 new restaurants globally by 2028

GLOBAL – Wendy’s announced during its Investor Day press release on March 6 that it expects a net addition of 1,000 restaurants globally by 2028, reflecting a long-term annual net unit growth rate of 3% to 4%.

Wendy’s growth trajectory is set to propel its global system to between 8,100 and 8,300 stores by the end of 2028, up from 7,240 units at the end of 2024.

The company plans to achieve this expansion through a balanced mix of domestic and international growth, with a specific focus on “globalizing its supply chain to build stronghold positions” in international markets, according to company reports.

Interestingly, in 2021, Wendy’s had projected a global unit count between 8,500 and 9,000 for that year, a far more ambitious target than its current outlook for 2028.

Initially, Reef Technology’s ghost kitchen trailers were envisioned as a growth driver; however, the model was abandoned starting in 2022 when consumers largely rejected ghost kitchens and the unit economics proved unsatisfactory.

Competitors are also actively expanding their footprint; for instance, Taco Bell recently announced plans to roughly triple its international store count by the end of the decade.

Wendy’s, however, experienced particularly strong international unit growth in 2024, having opened 276 new units globally.

On the Q4 earnings call, CEO Kirk Tanner explained that the international segment achieved an 11% system-wide sales growth on a constant currency basis, driven primarily by net unit growth.

He further noted that same-store sales growth in international units was only 2.8% in 2024, indicating that the majority of sales growth abroad resulted from new openings—an outcome that has made international expansion a key focus for 2025.

Tanner stated that the company expected to open between 150 and 200 new units in 2025, with about two-thirds of those coming from international markets.

Within that segment, he anticipated roughly one-third of the new units would be in Canada and Europe, and about half in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions.

If this distribution remains consistent over the coming years, Wendy’s could add approximately 330 net new units in the U.S. and around 660 internationally.

Moreover, the chain has begun opening locations built to its Global Next Gen prototype since 2023, featuring lower buildout costs and operational efficiencies that could further accelerate its development pace.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.