Wendy's is Serious about Salads

DUBLIN, Ohio, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- May is National Salad Month and no other quick service chain has more reason to celebrate salads than Wendy's®.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130501/CL05213)

Wendy's sold well over 100 million salads in the US last year, in entree, half-size and side salads.  Wendy's was also named "Best Salads" in Zagat's® 2012 Annual Fast-Food survey, beating out Panera®, Chipotle®, and Subway® among others. Regarding overall menu, Technomic, Inc. recently said Wendy's is preferred by consumers over McDonald's® and Burger King® when it comes to food quality, taste and flavor*.

"We take great pride in being the quality leader in salads in our industry," said Craig Bahner, Wendy's chief marketing officer. "While many chains offer salads as a 'side item', we're serious about them. All salads are not made the same, and the word 'Fresh' is often overused. We offer cafe-quality premium salads at a QSR price."

Wendy's offers four premium entree salads, the popular Apple Pecan Chicken, Spicy Chicken Caesar, BLT Cobb and Baja. They're also offered in half sizes, giving consumers a choice in portion sizes to meet their needs. Two side salads, a Caesar and Garden, round out the line. Beginning May 30^th, Wendy's will bring back its ever-popular Berry Almond Chicken Salad, in both entree and half-size, just in time for the peak strawberry growing season.

Made fresh every day in every restaurant, Wendy's is serious about quality ingredients and fresh preparation:

• Employee's wash and hand-leaf heads of romaine and iceberg, and blend with a leafy spring mix made with nine different types of greens. 
• A salad spinner is used in every Wendy's kitchen to ensure the lettuce is crisp. 
• Fresh apples, strawberries and blueberries are used in season, not frozen or out of a can. 
• The Asiago cheese is all natural and aged for 60 days. 
• Bacon is center-cut, Applewood smoked.
• All-white meat chicken breast, grilled in Wendy's kitchens, not cold chicken out of a bag. 
• And the salad dressings are made with natural ingredients and no preservatives.

"Our salads are a cut above the competition in the areas that customers care most about:  fresh ingredients, fresh preparation, customization, portion size and price. Customers love their taste, nutritional benefits and the overall value they receive," Bahner said.

"We have a long history of salad innovation, from introducing the first salad bar in the industry in 1979, to launching a premium line of salads in 2002, followed by fresh additions in 2006 and 2010," Bahner said. "No competitor has matched our commitment to quality ingredients and fresh preparation. "

"Best Kept Secrets" Launches This Week
Wendy's launched this week an online scavenger hunt for consumers to scour Wendy's social media channels to find their salad secrets for a chance to win $25 gift cards. For example, one question asks, "Some places claim the fruit on their salads is 'fresh', because that's what it said on the can."  Searching Wendy's website, Facebook, Twitter, MyWendy's App, digital advertising or Instagram will identify the answer: "We use fresh, hand-picked apples, strawberries and blueberries – not canned – on our Apple Pecan Chicken and Berry Almond Chicken Salads". Visit www.wendys.com/secrets for details and to enter (no purchase necessary).

About The Wendy's Company
The Wendy's Company is the world's third largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 franchise and Company restaurants in the United States and 27 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.aboutwendys.com or www.wendys.com.

CONTACTS:
Denny Lynch, 614-764-3553, [email protected]
Christyne Muller, 404-879-9031, [email protected]

*Source: Technomic Consumer Brand Metrics research, released in April 2013. More information available upon request.

SOURCE Wendy's Company