👉 Background: Wendy’s is the burger chain that was founded in the US back in 1969, known for its red-head girl with pigtails. Despite not having a presence in Australia right now, it's actually the 3rd biggest fast-food chain in the world, behind its bitter rivals Maccy D's and Burger King.

👉 What happened: Now, Flynn Group, the company that owns the Wendy’s licence in Australia, has announced plans to re-launch in Australia—bringing it back after a short stint in the 1980s when it had 11 stores here. Flynn Group plans to open hundreds of Wendy’s burger joints around Australia over the next decade.

👉 What else: With Maccas and Hungry Jack's holding 32% of the fast-food market, there’s definitely room for Wendy’s to cook up a storm with Aussie burger lovers. However, what works in the US doesn’t necessarily work in Australia.

What's the key learning?

💡A winning recipe in one market doesn’t guarantee the success in other markets around the world.

💡Plenty of American fast-food giants have strutted into Australia with big dreams of dominating the burger grill:

• Carl’s Jr launched in Australia in 2016, aiming for 300 stores by 2026 but currently has only 28.
• Five Guys entered Australia in 2021 but has just 5 stores so far.

💡The most successful burger stores recently have been locally grown - Grill’d with its 172 stores and Betty’s Burgers with its 60 stores. So, it looks like Wendy’s will have to add a little Australian touch if they want to succeed here.