Wendy’s Says It , ‘Will Not Implement
Surge Pricing’ , After All.
On Feb. 15, Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner highlighted
the company's new menu boards which would support pricing changes, Quartz reports. .
Beginning as early as 2025, we will
begin testing more enhanced features
like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings, along with AI-enabled menu
changes and suggestive selling, Kirk Tanner, Wendy's CEO, via earnings call.
As we continue to show the benefit
of this technology in our company-operated
restaurants, franchisee interest in digital
menu boards should increase,
further supporting sales and profit
growth across the system, Kirk Tanner, Wendy's CEO, via earnings call.
Tanner's comments eventually
gained national attention, comparing
"dynamic pricing" to "surge pricing," the practice
of raising prices when demand is highest.
The notion of Wendy's raising prices at
peak times didn't make customers happy.
Now, a company spokesperson says that the
fast food chain won't be implementing the practice. .
We said these [digital] menu boards
would give us more flexibility to change
the display of featured items. , Wendy's spokesperson, via statement.
This was misconstrued in some
media reports as an intent to
raise prices when demand is
highest at our restaurants, Wendy's spokesperson, via statement.
We have no plans to do that and
would not raise prices when our
customers are visiting us most, Wendy's spokesperson, via statement.
Digital menu boards could allow
us to change the menu offerings
at different times of day and offer
discounts and value offers to our
customers more easily, particularly
in the slower times of day, Wendy's spokesperson, via statement