John Li Shares Wendy's Vision for Our Food

Wendy's Fast Food Done Right
Wendy's Fast Food Done Right
WE KNOW YOU CARE A WHOLE LOT ABOUT THE FOOD YOU EAT AND SO DO WE. WHICH IS WHY WE CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE OF WENDY鈥橲 FOOD.

I鈥檝e always been passionate about food and the role it plays in delivering happiness.  In fact, it鈥檚 this philosophy on food and good eating that led me to Wendy鈥檚.  Here at Wendy鈥檚, I鈥檓 surrounded by kindred spirits who are just as food-focused as me.  The values and beliefs I鈥檝e always lived by in my career are the perfect match to founder Dave Thomas鈥 鈥 which makes Wendy鈥檚 the right choice for me to honor his promise to provide great food with quality as our recipe.  Wendy鈥檚 refuses to cut corners 鈥 and, fun fact from a new insider: yes, that鈥檚 really why our burgers are square.

While this approach to food has always been status quo at Wendy鈥檚, when I came on board as the new Vice President of Culinary Innovation, I was inspired to lead our team to put a stake in the ground, define what good food means to us 鈥 and share that with our fans.

I feel so fortunate that, although I led similar strategic efforts in my past leadership roles at Kraft/Nabisco and Bloomin鈥 Brands, I now have access to cross-functional expertise like I鈥檝e never had before.  With critical thinking from key leaders like our two directors, Shelly Thobe and Marshall Scarborough, and key thought partners within Liliana Esposito鈥檚 and Carl Loredo鈥檚 teams, we challenged our previous thinking, and over three months of debate and discussions, landed on our current food vision.

We know you care a whole lot about the food you eat 鈥 not only about how it tastes (which is obviously important), but where it comes from and how it鈥檚 prepared and maybe even what inspires it.  So, consider this your insider look at how Wendy鈥檚 decides what makes the cut when it comes to our menu, and how we continue to innovate and look toward the future of Wendy鈥檚 food.

Wendy鈥檚 food:

Is REAL:

We make real food for real people鈥攆ood we鈥檙e proud to enjoy with our own family and friends.

Is FRESH:

We start with high-quality ingredients and prepare them fresh to order.

Is CRAVEABLE:

Our chefs combine familiar flavors with fresh twists to make food that鈥檚 鈥済otta-have-it-now鈥 delicious.

DOESN鈥橳 COST A FORTUNE:

We build in value where it matters, so you can count on food you love at a price you feel good about.

Is FORWARD-LEANING:

We track and apply food trends at the right time in the right way.

Fast Food Done Right is at the core of everything Wendy鈥檚 stands for, rooted in Dave Thomas and his unwavering commitment to good food.

Guided by our food vision, we鈥檒l continue to push the envelope to deliver the best possible menu items 鈥 while continuing to build on the great progress we鈥檝e already made!  We鈥檒l continue to work closely with QSCC and Quality Assurance to purposefully source the best ingredients 鈥 like fresh, never frozen beef and seasonal strawberries 鈥 and continue to prove how Wendy鈥檚 is different from the rest. 

We鈥檒l use all our teams鈥 passion for food and expertise to set the bar high on craveable flavor that you can鈥檛 just have one bite of, like our delicious Made to Crave creations.

We鈥檒l make sure, when we develop these mouth-watering recipes, that they resonate with our guests and avoid being niche and not broadly appealing.  So, when the next food trend comes along, we鈥檒l only pursue it if we know it鈥檚 going to stick around鈥 like the passion for all things spicy (You know we know our way around ghost pepper!).

Last, but certainly not least, we want every guest to walk away from a Wendy鈥檚 experience with a full belly and a feeling that their hard-earned money was well spent.  Stay tuned for much more to come from our culinary team!