Wendy’s clarifies plans for dynamic pricing experiment after backlash

Enlarge / A view of a Wendy’s store on August 9, 2023, in Nanuet, New York. (credit: Getty Images)

On Wednesday, American fast food chain Wendy’s said it has no plans to dynamically raise menu prices based on demand after reports about the experiment, which was set to roll out in 2025, caused a stir online, reports Reuters. In a statement to the news service, a Wendy’s spokesperson said it “would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most.” Instead, the company framed experimental price changes as discounts during “slower times of day.”

“We said these menuboards would give us more flexibility to change the display of featured items. This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest … We have no plans to do that,” the company told Reuters. Presuming that lowered prices during slow times will eventually rise again, it appears some sort of dynamic pricing will still be taking place.

Original Story: American fast food chain Wendy’s is planning to test dynamic pricing and AI menu features in 2025, reports Nation’s Restaurant News and Food & Wine. This means that prices for food items will automatically change throughout the day depending on demand, similar to “surge pricing” in rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft. The initiative was disclosed by Kirk Tanner, the CEO and president of Wendy’s, in a recent discussion with analysts.