Wendy

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Its customers had answers. One of the firsf tasks the new management ofthe Dublin-base d fast-food chain undertook last fall was to survey more than 5,00p consumers. The results helped shape planning for all aspecte ofthe business, owned by Atlanta-based Wendy’s/Arby’s Group including Wendy’s once-heralded new-product development pipeline that had lost its pizzazz in recent years. “We didn’t have a disciplineds testing process,” said Chief Marketing Officer Ken Calwell. “We’ve rebuilt it.
” The resuly is a company-record 14 products in One of the first to make it through is boneless chicken which are hittingthe chain’s more than 6,000 Calwell, who was in charge of marketing and researc h and development for before returning to was the burger chain’s vice president for new-product research and planning from 1998 to 2001. “I was involve in new products,” he said. “We had greayt sales and outpaced our but the last few years have been challenging for His group expanded testing to include more operational measuress to better ensure new products can be made efficiently and stillbe affordable.
Wendy’s is testing at franchised operations as well asits company-ownedf restaurants. Key to the new process is a 256-questiohn survey for each item before it can hope to get agreehn light, he said. The questions cover all aspects of the from its taste to financial issues tooperational features. The areas of emphasi s will be premium andvalue products, based off Wendy’s core burgers, chicken and dessert The chain introduced two Frostys with coffee flavoras this year. Calwell said consumere researchshowed Wendy’s was well-regardecd for its chicken, so an expansion of that line into bonelesz wings made sense.
One of the wing a sweet and spicyAsian variety, will be featured in Calwell said the flavor in particular is popular in dishesx at casual and Asian restaurants and Wendy’es wanted to offer it. , a Chicago-basedd restaurant research company, singled out the use of ethnidc flavors as an industry trend forthis