Wendy’s is making its breakfast menu even better with a new treat that comes from an unlikely place: another fast-food chain.
This is a risky bet like other chains have made before. Alliances between competitors can increase sales, but they can also cause problems for restaurant owners.
Starting February 26, Wendy’s is partnering with Cinnabon to add a new cinnamon roll-style baked treat to its morning menu. This marks a unique partnership between his two chains, which often compete for similarly price-sensitive customers.
It is common for fast food chains to partner with other brands that they do not consider to be direct competitors. “This is an opportunity to license brands and expand their reach far beyond their existing store base,” said Jonathan Mays, editor-in-chief of trade publication Restaurant Business.
He mentioned that Cinnabon frequently does that, having collaborated with Subway last month to create a footlong cinnamon churro and selling its cinnamon rolls at Pizza Hut a few years ago.
“It’s more of a concern for franchisees because it can dilute the brand and perhaps give people less reason to go to an actual Cinnabon,” according to report. Also, most Cinnabon locations haven’t yet opened for the day when Wendy’s sells breakfast, which ends at 10:30 am.
McDonald’s is also experimenting with selling Krispy Kreme donuts at some restaurants in Indiana and Kentucky. Perhaps Wendy’s addition of Cinnamon Pull Apart will attract dissatisfied customers after McDonald’s stopped offering its McCafé bakery, which also included cinnamon rolls, last year.
Cinnabon Pull Apart is made by dipping sweet dough in a glaze and baking it with cinnamon, brown butter, and sugar. It’s then topped with Cinnabon’s signature cream cheese, giving it a flavor similar to the center of a cinnamon roll, Wendy’s announced Wednesday.
Wendy’s chose Cinnabon because the company wanted to partner with similar brands that are “evolves around quality and delivering an experience that delights our customers,” said Global Vice President of Culinary Innovation during a virtual press conference. said John Lee. “Cinnabon was the brand that had that overlap with the level of importance they put on quality.”
Breakfast’s Birthday
Next month, Wendy will be selling Breakfast for the fourth time. The chain entered the fast-food breakfast fray with a $20 million investment in March 2020 to take on rivals that have long held the morning supremacy, particularly McDonald’s.
Before Wendy’s stopped reporting retail sales for its morning menu, the chain previously predicted breakfast would account for 10% of sales and reach 8.5% in 2021.
In Wendy’s recent earnings call, former CEO Todd Penegor said that Wendy’s had a “very profitable daytime division,” but that “the breakfast daytime division and “That habit is still ingrained among our customers.”
Wendy’s initially started with a traditional menu (lots of egg sandwiches), but also had some unique Wendy’s twists, such as the Breakfast His Baconator and the Frosty His Cino His drinks.