Wendy's surge pricing debacle, from internet mockery to backtracking

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It was a rough week for Wendy’s. In the span of just a few days, the fast food giant went from an onslaught of attention to remarks by its CEO about “dynamic pricing” that were barely noticed at the time they were made two weeks ago; to a slew of headlines comparing that to Uber-style “surge pricing”; to burger memes galore on the internet; to a quick back-track that “dynamic pricing” isn’t “surge pricing” at all; to a cautionary tale in fast corporate PR.

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Wendy’s will try surge pricing for burgers

Wendy’s will start experimenting with surge pricing, much like Uber and Lyft, as the company rolls out digital menus to all its United States restaurants by 2025, according to the company’s February earnings call. Under the test, burgers, Frosties, and other menu items will have “dynamic prices,” costing more during times of increased demand.

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Surge in Wendy’s complaints exposes limits to consumer tolerance of unstable prices

Consumers will pay more for a flight to Florida or for a hotel room during peak vacation times. They fork out more for a rush hour Uber ride, perhaps while grinding their teeth, and rely on apps like ParkWhiz or ParkMobile to book spots for their cars at premium prices. But a social media backlash this week to media reports that said fast-food chain Wendy’s had plans to increase menu prices during its busiest hours showed a limit to where, when and for what U.S. consumers will trade more cash for convenience.

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The internet had a field day with Wendy’s surge pricing fiasco

Wendy’s says it has no plans for surge pricing, though the internet expressed quite a bit of outrage when it seemed like the fast food chain absolutely did. It briefly seemed like you might be bidding on a Baconator, shorting a Jr. Vanilla Frosty, or even buying the dip on a Biggie Bag. But rest assured, your 4 for 4 is safe. Luckily, there are an abundance of memes to remember this historic moment.

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Wendy’s says it won’t do ‘surge pricing’ after all, backtracking after a backlash

Wendy’s would like a word about the difference between “dynamic pricing” and “surge pricing.” After a flurry of attention this week to comments by CEO Kirk Tanner during the fast food chain’s February earnings call, Wendy’s now says it has “no plans” to raise prices when demand is highest.

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The Wendy’s surge pricing blunder was a PR dumpster fire

Wendy’s drive thru in Farmingdale, New York.

Wendy’s didn’t just have a bad week. It had a bad month. The fast food chain reported earnings Feb. 15 that missed Wall Street’s expectations and sent the stock down as much as 7% in the days that followed. Then came a flurry of media attention centered on a single comment made by CEO Kirk Tanner during Wendy’s earnings call with investors. “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,” he said. The key word was dynamic pricing — seemingly a euphemism for surge pricing, a tactic employed by companies such as Uber, in which prices rise during times of peak demand. Notably, the comment didn’t get picked up by many news outlets until two weeks after Tanner’s remarks. But when it did, it caught fire.

Wendy's surge pricing debacle, from internet mockery to a quick backtrack

In the span of just a few days, Wendy's went from an onslaught of attention to its plans for “dynamic pricing," to internet memes galore, to backtracking