Since the merger of Wendy's and Arby's last year, Roland Smith, president and CEO of the Wendy's/Arby's Group, has kept busy leading the new company, according to a story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The merged company's accomplishments include the creation of a shared services center in Atlanta to handle functions such as finance, human resources and information technology, as well as the start of an overhaul of the Wendy's brand.
So far this year, Wendy's has pulled breakfast from its company-owned stores to revamp and test the daypart offerings, added boneless buffalo wings and announced the upcoming launch of a bacon deluxe cheeseburger. The parent company also plans to test dual-branded Wendy's/Arby's stores.
New ventures for Wendy's/Arby's Group include looking for an additional brand, according to the story.
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
A new brand could provide growth, further dual-branding opportunities and help its existing brands draw customers over a broader range of hours, such as breakfast, (Smith) said.Wendy's/Arby's closed in June on a $565 million bond offering, which provided cash that could be used in part for another acquisition."We have no plans in the immediate future to make some kind of significant announcement because we have no negotiations underway," Smith said. "But that all being said, it still is a fairly chaotic market, and in chaotic markets, there is typically a lot of opportunity."
Arby's also is launching changes that should pay off for the brand as it focuses on its "medium Arby's customer," Smith said. Arby's average ticket of $7.50 has caused those customers to cut back during the recession, according to the story.
Arby's Web site features a set of $5.01 combos with the tag line "Worth every penny" to provide more affordable options, including Roasted Beef Patty Melt, Roast Beef Gyro, French Dip & Swiss, Roast Chicken Ranch and Regular Roast Beef.
