US fast-food giant Wendy’s will officially reopen on the Gold Coast this week. The Surfers Paradise restaurant is the first of a projected 200 stores to open in the not-too-distant future, thanks to a partnership with Flynn Restaurant Group. 

In a statement, Wendy’s chief development officer Abigail Pringle said she was convinced there was an appetite for the chain’s signature burgers, fries and frosty desserts Down Under.

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“Australia is a strategic market for long-term growth for Wendy’s. Flynn Restaurant Group has incredible experience in the restaurant space, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with them.”

The announcement states that starting from 2025, 200 Wendy’s eateries will open across Australia, and the plan is to be complete by 2034. 

At the moment, Wendy’s has around 7000 restaurants around the world, including in the US and Canada as well as Ireland and the UK, where it relaunched in 2021 after a two-decade pause following two previous launches.

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The US fast-food chain (not to be confused with Australia’s existing Wendy’s Milk Bar) joins a growing list of novel American fast-food outlets gaining a foothold locally. Taco Bell, TGI Fridays, Cinnabon and Carl’s Jr have cracked the Australian market in the last few years, joining the giants of McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks.

Though the novelty factor is strong for these food brands, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, even for major ones that are already well-known and loved. It took Taco Bell three attempts to break into the local market – in 1981 and 1997 before finally nailing it in 2019.

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It was a similar story for Wendy’s itself in Australia. In 1982 Wendy’s launched its first store in Melbourne, eventually expanding to 11 outlets before collapsing in 1985 with an $8 million debt.

That said, given how bonkers Sydneysiders went for the Cinnabon opening in January of this year, there are high hopes for the Wendy’s rollout.

Wendy’s will open on January 15 at Paradise Centre, 2 Cavill Avenue, Surfer’s Paradise. Stay tuned.

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