Wendy's is testing a lineup of premium salads set to rival that of casual dining offerings, according to The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. The salads include Apple Pecan Chicken with two types of apples, BLT Cobb featuring Applewood-smoked bacon, Spicy Chicken Caesar and Baja paired with Marzetti dressings, including pomegranate vinaigrette, lemon garlic Caesar, creamy red jalapeno and avocado ranch. The salads are offered in the Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tenn., markets.
Wendy's spokesman Denny Lynch said the new salads "are raising the bar on (fast-food) salads and reinventing the category."
Wendy's isn't the first chain to see the opportunity in expanding its premium salad line. Carl's Jr. tried to attract more female customers with three new premium salads in the first quarter. While the company said the salads were selling well, it wasn't enough to boost slumping same-store sales, which have been negatively impacted by poor economic conditions and high unemployment rates in the brand's core California market.
Carl's Jr. reported company-owned comps for period two ended March 22 were down 7.6 percent, compared to a decline of 7.0 percent in the same period last year.
