The line for the Wendy’s drive through spills out onto Sheridan Avenue during “peak” hours. That’s usually around noon and 5PM as people satisfy their lunch and dinner cravings.
But those lines may disappear after the burger joint announced last week that starting in 2025, Wendy’s restaurants will implement a “dynamic pricing” menu during their busy hours of the day.
Wendy’s new pricing model is similar to how ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft increase their prices when they have increased demand. Translation:
customers could be paying a buck more for their Baconator during peak demand times like lunch and dinner, according to a Wendy’s rep who appeared on Good Morning America to make the announcement.
The fast food chain’s CEO, Kirk Tanner, explained during an earning calls, that the chain is investing $20 million to add digital menu boards to restaurants. These digitized menus, Tanner said will be, “AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling” that will allow Wendy’s to implement pricing changes quickly during peak hours, but customer could notice lower prices during slower parts of the day.
A representative for the restaurant added that the chain will test suggestive selling based on a multiple of factors, including weather. The rep told People magazine that with the new digital menus and investments in technology will “increase flexibility of the menu.”
