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Down-home good Wendy's is one of those rare success stories where the hype is actually true: the company's origins are genuinely down-home good. Wendy's founder and advertising spokesman, Dave Thomas, had been doing a stint at KFC, but decided to drop chicken in favor of chopped beef. In 1969 Dave opened up a hamburger shop in Columbus, Ohio. His mission: to bring "families together in a friendly environment to enjoy a delicious meal." Melinda = Wendy? The restaurant was named for Dave's eight year-old daughter, Melinda Lou (nicknamed, of course, Wendy). While Melinda grew up at a normal pace, her corporate namesake shot up to 1,000 franchises in the company's first eight years. All this time, Dave, who had learned the fast food business at the knee of Colonel Sanders, emphasized the importance of quality over hustle (while still maintaining an excellent business record). Dave's drive Today, Wendy's is the third largest fast food hamburger chain in the U.S. (behind McDonald's and Burger King), although many insist it is number one in quality. Dave became Wendy's pitchman in 1989, resulting in one of the most successful and recognizable advertising campaigns in history. In addition to making television appearances, he has founded the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (he himself was adopted). Dave is also the chief icon of Wendy's Web page or www.wendys.com. Worldwide, Wendy's has almost 5,400 locations under the Wendy's name, and 1,700 locations under the Canadian-based Tim Hortons brand, which the company owns. Wendy's and the lawyers Recent times have brought mixed tidings for the fast-food leader. 1998 found a class-action lawsuit alleging that Wendy's international had withheld overtime pay from California employees and improperly classified managers as assistant managers. Later that year, The Reverend Al Sharpton, rising New York political star and leader at the National Action Network, called for a boycott of Wendy's on grounds of bigotry. The California suit has since been settled out of court. In other legal news, nearly 1,700 Wendy's restaurants will become "wheelchair accessible" under a 1998 agreement involving the Justice Department and nine State Attorneys General. In 2000 the settlement was widened to cover all restaurants owned by Wendy's. Executive changes In December 1999, a mere three and a half years after the heart-attack death of Chairman James Near, the company was stunned again, this time by the death (of natural causes) of his replacement and the company's CEO, Gordon F. Teter. Dave Thomas assumed the positions of chairman, CEO, and president until a replacement could be found. In March 2000 the company appointed John T. Schuessler, formerly head of U.S. operations, as CEO and president. Expanding the Wendy's brand Wendy's plans to continue adding to its 5,400 company-owned and franchised restaurants, along with its 1,700 Tim Hortons locations. With one restaurant for every 60,000 people in the U.S., Wendy's sees lots of room for expansion if it wants to catch up to Burger King, who has one for every 30,000 and McDonald's, who has one for every 18,000. In 2000 the company plans 320 new Wendy's openings along with 190 Tim Hortons locations in the U.S. and Canada. The company opened 482 restaurants in 1999. On the downside, in 1999 it closed 121 stores, including 67 overseas. Closings included seven units in the central London area and all four of Wendy's Hong Kong restaurants. Wendy's Asian presence is still strong, though, with 90 stores in Japan and 40 in the Philippines. Broadening Wendy's appeal Besides expanding its locations, Wendy's is also looking to beef up its market share by increasing promotion of its late-night business. Management says potential for nightly business could be upward of 20 percent of the chain's total, or about the size of "a healthy breakfast business." Moreover, the company has begun targeting the Hispanic population through new television commercials. The company has also capitalized on the success of its "Nine items for 99 cents" Super Value menu by expanding the offer year-round. Wendy's fans, you know what that means: more TV ads featuring the ever-popular Dave Thomas.
Hiring information as well as extensive descriptions of Wendy's guru, Dave Thomas, are available to you at www.wendys.com. Wendy's looks for employees who enjoy "collaboration" and "team contributions." The organization congratulates itself on strong employee commitment, where people "stay with Wendy's for a long, long time." Wendy's Midwest HQ is on the lookout for candidates in fields like Marketing Research, Brand Management, Information Technology, Finance, Research & Development, and Quality Assurance. While Wendy's favors experienced professionals, many a manager has been known "to work his way up Wendy's corporate ladder by first flipping burgers." Interested candidates should send resumes to:
Wendy's International Inc.
Urgent! Like most of the fast food industry, Wendy's is a rapidly moving business. Many branches, say insiders, "require employees to work with a sense of urgency to meet customer needs." This isn't always fun, as "you get the occasional jerk - consumer or coworker." As far as training, "you get plenty," assure insiders. This prep work is "followed by laser specific guidelines outlining where Corporate wants you to be. This company guides you and helps you do the best you can because they believe if you do well and enjoy your work, you will perform well - ultimately benefiting the company." Old-fashioned elbow grease Culture at Wendy's receives mixed reviews, from undercooked to burned-out and crusty. The one universal theme among insiders seems to be an excess of work. "Making old-fashioned hamburgers requires a lot of old-fashioned elbow grease," says one tired source. "The Wendy's concept is probably the most physically demanding of all the companies I've worked with." While some insiders enjoy the challenge, others are less enthusiastic: "As with any food management position, the hours are long. The stress level only increases as you go up. You are at the mercy of 16 year olds coming to work everyday. They are expected to follow strict procedures and stay motivated every minute. If you like working with kids, it can be fun. But it's not a career for everyone." Cheap and fast While "managers are caring and try to keep all the employees happy," some Wendy's contacts say that the bad outweighs the good. "Actually, the culture kind of sucks: cheap, fast, and ghetto. I am actively looking for work elsewhere," moans one addled source. Compensation "depends on the person," but insiders insist they "don't make bad money." And the perks aren't shabby: "You get paid holidays, paid vacation, and personal and sick days." As far as diversity is concerned, "the organization actively strives to attract highly qualified people of all backgrounds. Minorities and women are treated just like everyone else."
Human Resources
Allied Domecq;Boston Chicken;Dairy Queen;Krispy Kreme;Long John Silver's;Rally's;Winchell's More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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