When Wendy’s opened its first Melbourne restaurant in late June, there were lines out the door, and many said they would wait a few weeks for the hype to die down so they didn’t have to wait.
But the hype is still incredibly strong.
A customer who visited the Dandenong restaurant recently said she waited in line for an hour to see what all the fuss was about.
Food content creator Ash told Yahoo Lifestyle the drive-thru line was around the block, and huge crowds of people were patiently waiting for their turn inside the restaurant.
“It’s never fun waiting an hour, especially for ‘fast food’,” she said.
RELATED:
Thankfully, the wait was worth it.
She said she left “fairly satisfied” because the food exceeded her expectations.
“If it was bad after the hour wait, I would have been upset, but for my experience, the food was pretty good,” Ash said.
Wendy’s told Yahoo Lifestyle that it has been blown away by the response since opening on June 24.
Do you have a story to share? Contact au.lifestyle.ent@yahooinc.com
“We know wait times have been longer than usual, and we sincerely thank our customers for their patience as our team works hard to keep up with this unprecedented demand,” Corina Black, Wendy’s chief marketing officer for Australia and New Zealand, said.
“We’re continuing to fine-tune our operations to make sure every guest gets the full Wendy’s experience that is well worth the wait.”
Wendy’s Melbourne restaurant breaks global records
The Dandenong restaurant has been so popular that it’s broken global records.
Almost 20,000 burgers, 30,000 hand-breaded chicken tenders, and 6,500 Frosty’s were sold in just seven days, which set a new record for the highest-performing opening week in Wendy’s history.
The Melbourne spot also set the biggest opening day record, as well as multiple hourly sales records.
“The response from customers has exceeded our expectations and reinforces our confidence in the significant growth opportunity for Wendy’s across Australia,” Richard Wallis, the president of Flynn Group Asia Pacific, said.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the local Dandenong community for the warm welcome and look forward to continuing our expansion.”
What makes Wendy’s different?
One of the main attractions of Wendy’s, besides its newness in Australia, is that its burger patties are square.
Wendy’s claims this is to show that the restaurant doesn’t cut corners on its food quality.
Another major drawcard is its Frosty’s drinks, which are essentially a dessert that’s a cross between an ice cream and a thick shake.
The Wendy’s that just opened in Melbourne has set global records for the US burger chain.
(TikTok/Wendy’s/Supplied/Wendy’s)
The American chain also has a very different approach to its drive-thru.
Typically, when you roll up to a place like McDonald’s, KFC, or Hungry Jack’s, you order through a speaker box.
But the Melbourne Wendy’s in Dandenong has human employees waiting at the drive-thru to take your order.
Wendy’s has two other locations in Queensland, but the Dandenong restaurant is the first that allows people in cars to order.
The US chain plans to open 200 restaurants nationwide in the coming years.
Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.