An extensive renovation project is planned for a Wendy’s restaurant in Kettering, continuing a trend of rebuilds as aging fast-food eateries seek to gain a competitive edge.
Plans submitted to the city of Kettering describe an ambitious makeover for the Wendy’s at 4003 Wilmington Pike just south of East Stroop Road, near a Meijer store. City officials have not yet given their final approval of the project, so no timetable is available yet.
A spokeswoman for Wendy’s, contacted Thursday, said late Friday she was still attempting to gather information about the project at the franchise-owned restaurant and could provide no details.
But the scope of the project and the architectural plans submitted to the city suggest a renovation project similar to others that have taken place in the region, including a Wendy’s on Heincke Road in Miamisburg, as part of a broader “brand transformation” to a new logo and signage.
Wendy’s prototype stores feature digital menu boards, flat-screen TVs, fireplaces and Wi-Fi.
When the brand transformation kicked off in 2013, Wendy’s officials said the company’s re-designed restaurants were selling more food, with higher check averages and customer counts. In 2014, company officials said they were moving forward with remodels for 100 company-owned restaurants and 100 franchised locations.
Several other fast-food chains are making similar investments, renovating and in some cases razing and rebuilding their aging restaurants.
Many of those existing restaurants are three or four decades old. They’re not energy efficient, and their layouts hinder effective customer service, especially in the increasingly important drive-throughs. In other cases, fast-food chains are seeking to enhance customers’ dining-room experience or update their brands with new logos and signage.
McDonald’s has been particularly active in store rebuilds in recent years, and a McDonald’s around the corner from the Kettering Wendy’s was razed and rebuilt a few years ago. On Brown Street near the University of Dayton, both Burger King and Taco Bell have been rebuilt in the last two years.
