DUBLIN, Ohio, April 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) has announced a 2020 goal of opening more than 600 new restaurants across the globe. As part of its efforts to grow and differentiate the brand while keeping energy stewardship at the forefront, Wendy's® recently unveiled a new "Smart Family of Designs," providing a portfolio of development options to franchisees, including buildings that fit into smaller footprints. These designs provide more access to real estate, the ability to customize needs for specific trade areas and reduces the development investment for franchisees looking to build new restaurants.  

"We continue to look for ways to make the economics better for new development in high potential markets," said Abigail Pringle, chief development officer for The Wendy's Company. "Additionally, our new restaurant designs enhance our commitments to reduce energy usage across the Wendy's system. Energy conservation makes good business sense and it reflects the responsibility we have to be a good neighbor."

Wendy's recently introduced the Smart 2.0 design, which reduces environmental impact with an even smaller footprint and features that promote energy efficiency, while targeting an additional $150,000 of savings in development costs.  This next generation of Wendy's Smart designs, which were first introduced in 2017, complements the company's commitment to reduce the amount of energy used in company-owned and operated restaurants by 20 percent by 2025, as part of its participation in the Department of Energy's Better Buildings® Challenge.

The Smart design prototype features outdoor patio furniture made from recycled materials and exterior and interior LED lighting that provides better quality lighting while lowering energy use. In fact, LED lights and fixtures account for a 70% drop in energy usage versus using the traditional florescent tube lighting. Kitchens are outfitted with ENERGY STAR ™ certified equipment, including fryers and high efficiency HVAC systems with options for refrigerators, ice cube compressors, and other equipment. Combined, these items cut down on restaurant energy consumption and CO2 emissions. A kiosk-centric ordering process also eliminates the need for interior menu boards.

As part of this announcement, The Wendy's Company also shared important progress toward other sustainability goals and initiatives in a report that can be found here. Highlights include:

Better Buildings® Challenge

One of the ways Wendy's has demonstrated leadership in energy stewardship is participation in the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge. Wendy's is proud to be among the first restaurant companies to join the Challenge, and the first restaurant company to have its franchisees participate in the program. The company pledged to reduce energy consumption in its U.S. company-owned restaurants by 20 percent by 2025. The company continues to report progress toward this goal with a 12 percent reduction in energy per transaction in 2017. Furthermore, 70 – more than 20 percent of its company-owned restaurants — exceeded the overall 20 percent reduction goal in 2017, eight years ahead of schedule.

The Company also reports that at its Restaurant Support Center, it has reduced energy usage by 28 percent, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions by more than 27 percent, against a 2013 base year.

Progress can be tracked on The Wendy's Company partner page on the Department of Energy's website.

ENERGY STAR® Partner

The company reiterates its continued commitment to the Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Program as an ENERGY STAR partner. Through this voluntary partnership, Wendy's is working to improve energy efficiency through a strategic, corporate energy management program. In partnership with ENERGY STAR, the company will measure and track the energy performance of its facilities, where possible, develop and implement a plan consistent with the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings, regularly communicate the importance of energy efficiency to the Wendy's system, which includes more than 300 franchise organizations across the globe, and continue to support the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge.

Supplier Code of Conduct

The Wendy's Supplier Code of Conduct focuses on chief areas important to the Wendy's brand and its customers, including: food safety and food ingredients, farm animal health and well-being, human rights and labor practices, environmentally sustainable business practices and business ethics and integrity.

In 2017, Wendy's expanded its Supplier Code of Conduct to include all U.S. and Canadian contracts managed by Quality Supply Chain Cooperative (QSCC), the sole authorized purchasing organization for The Wendy's Company and Wendy's North American franchised restaurants. The code's provisions were also expanded to include additional assurances and requirements related to human rights and labor practices. The Wendy's Company now requires third-party reviews, related to the human rights and labor practices, for certain suppliers of hand-harvested, whole, fresh produce.

Sustainable Sourcing

Wendy's corporate social responsibility extends to the supply chain through its sustainable sourcing strategy. The company's long-standing Animal Welfare Program continues to lead the industry. After eliminating all antibiotics important to human medicine from chicken production last year, Wendy's continues to reduce antibiotic use within the rest of its protein supply chain. The company established that 15 percent of its beef will come from producers that are committed to a 20 percent reduction in medically important antibiotics fed to cattle. 100 percent of the pork supply chain is part of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus program, which requires veterinary oversight of antibiotic use. The company is working with suppliers toward decreasing the use of antibiotics and measuring progress. Its pork suppliers will eliminate the use of sow gestation stalls by the end of 2022.

The full energy and sustainability progress report can be found on the Company's website at this link: https://www.wendys.com/environmental-sustainability

About The Wendy's Company

The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world's third-largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy's system includes approximately 6,600 franchise and Company-operated restaurants in the United States and 30 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.wendys.com.

SOURCE The Wendy's Company

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