Operational Excellence (OPEX) Daily Briefing – Friday, November 07, 2025: Wendy’s Operational Revolution: When Efficiency Becomes the New Growth Strategy.
Điểm Tin Operational Excellence (OPEX) Mỗi Ngày – Thứ Sáu, Ngày 07/11/2025: Wendy’s Và Cuộc Cách Mạng Vận Hành: Khi Hiệu Quả Trở Thành Chiến Lược Tăng Trưởng Mới
Welcome to my unique weekday article for the paid subscriber-only edition.
Operational Excellence (OPEX) Daily Briefing – issued on weekdays (Monday to Friday).
Điểm tin Operational Excellence (OPEX) hằng ngày (phát hành các ngày thứ Hai đến thứ Sáu).
This is the bilingual post in English and Vietnamese. Vietnamese is below.
Đây là bài viết song ngữ Anh-Việt. Tiếng Việt ở bên dưới.
English
Part 1: Official Statement
On November 6, 2025, The Wendy’s Company — the third-largest fast-food brand in the United States — announced its third-quarter results, revealing a mixed performance: total systemwide sales declined by approximately 2.6%, while international operations grew by nearly 8.6%.
The report highlighted a clear contrast between the two markets: international regions continued to experience solid growth, while the U.S. market faced pressure from rising costs and softening consumer demand. However, the most notable element was not the profit figures but the strategic shift Wendy’s is pursuing — a focus on enhancing operational efficiency across its domestic restaurants.
According to information from the company’s “Project Fresh” initiative, Wendy’s aims to “improve restaurant operational efficiency in the U.S., enhance customer experience, and optimize costs.” Instead of expanding its restaurant footprint, the company is prioritizing investment in operational quality at existing locations, particularly in areas such as service processes, quality control, and resource management.
From an Operational Excellence (OPEX) perspective, this direction reflects a growing global trend in the F&B industry: optimizing current operations to achieve sustainable efficiency, rather than focusing solely on scale expansion. In an environment where ingredient, labor, and logistics costs in the U.S. continue to rise, strengthening internal productivity and service standards is a logical path forward.
The Q3 report indicates that Wendy’s has maintained stable profitability despite lower revenue, thanks to operational initiatives that reduced fixed costs and improved service speed. While the company has not disclosed specific measures, executive representatives stated that Wendy’s is “redesigning its operating model to reinforce efficiency foundations and long-term competitiveness.”
This move signals a shift from scale-based growth to efficiency-based growth — a critical transformation in the restaurant sector, where customer experience quality and operational productivity increasingly determine profitability.
Whereas Wendy’s previous growth relied on opening new restaurants, the company now appears focused on process optimization, operational standardization, and consistency across locations. This strategy not only enhances short-term profitability but also strengthens the brand’s resilience amid economic fluctuations, particularly in the competitive and cost-sensitive U.S. market.
In conclusion, Wendy’s Q3 2025 report represents more than just financial outcomes — it marks the beginning of a strategic operational transformation. By choosing to reinforce efficiency rather than expand, Wendy’s is embracing a model of flexible, sustainable growth aligned with the evolving realities of today’s F&B industry.
