Wendy's New Delivery-Friendly French Fries Are A Sign Of The Times
The new fries will hold up better in transit—a concern that wasn't as pressing in a pre-pandemic world.
Amidst our boundless excitement about upcoming releases like Taco Bell's Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco and McDonald's latest all-day breakfast doughnut, we need to find room in our hearts and minds for even more enthusiasm, because Wendy's announced on a call today that it will debut an all-new french fry recipe next month. Adding a stray sandwich or pastry to the menu is one thing, but when you mess with french fries, you mean business. Wendy's, you have our attention.
According to online industry publication Restaurant Business, this is the first time Wendy's has changed up its fry recipe in more than ten years. The reason for the redesign doesn't have to do with an unsatisfactory flavor or shifting costs, at least not as far as we know. The real reason behind the innovation has to do with keeping the fries crisp throughout the duration of a delivery—a consideration that hardly existed five or ten years ago.
"We had to make sure that our fries stood up to the delivery experience, so they have the same fry texture and crispiness," explained Emily Kessler, senior specialist of culinary and innovation at Wendy's.
Decisions that cater specifically to delivery are a sign of the times, to be sure. During the pandemic, Wendy's ended up partnering with more delivery services in order to get its food into the hands of customers who were no longer commuting to and from work, and the delivery business hasn't slowed since. When it's the customer themselves rolling up to the drive-thru and buying food to take home, the rapidly deteriorating quality of the fries isn't really as much of an issue; people often start munching on the fries in the car before they get home, and they tend to stop at drive-thrus close to where they live. But when a delivery driver has to navigate to your house, the food is going untouched for longer, and Wendy's wants to prevent soggy food disasters.
The new fries will be skin-on, with a new type of batter coating that will allegedly retain crispness longer. They'll be available in the U.S. nationwide by the middle of September, before rolling out to Canada and other locations globally.
Best of all, Kessler confirms that the fries stand up better to being dipped in a Frosty. Anyone who doesn't love that sweet-and-salty combination is lying.