If the Minions can't help Wendy's, who can?
The Columbus-born, Dublin-based fast-food chain reported another quarterly decline in sales on Aug. 7 – internationally this time, too – and its new CEO acknowledged,
"We are not performing at our potential."
Bob Wright, the former CEO of Potbelly, who returned in May for his fourth stint at Wendy's, said he and newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Steve Cirulis will present a full turnaround plan in coming months that both said will touch on everything from improving the quality of food to the marketing of products.
In a conference call with industry analysts, the company's new top executives reported a second-quarter decline in overall sales of 6.5%. The number was driven by a 7% decline in U.S. sales but also included a drop of 2.3% in sales at restaurants outside the country. While U.S. sales have declined quarterly since the start of 2025, international sales have been in positive territory until recently.
Not even a marketing tie-in for the July release of Illumination's "Minions & Monsters" movie helped. "Minions didn't increase traffic as expected," Cirulis said.
Wright said Wendy's is likely to close more restaurants, although he didn't say how many. In late 2025, Wendy's announced plans to close or change operators at about 360 U.S. restaurants as part of its last turnaround plan.
He said the next plan will include a recommitment to the quality of food, including the core items that have been on the menu since founder Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's in 1969 on East Broad Street in downtown Columbus. Marketing changes must focus on the chain's overall image instead of its recent focus on deals and promotions, he said.
Wright's previous stints with Wendy's include more than five years as chief operating office from December 2013 to May 2019. He served as the company's vice president of operations and training integration from October 2006 to January 2008 and as a franchise area director and director of area operations from June 1998 to April 2005.
"I've seen this brand at its best," he said. "And I know we can fix these issues."
Follow Dispatch dining reporter Bob Vitale on Instagram at @dispatchdining. You can reach him directly at rvitale@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New CEO says Wendy's needs to improve quality to turn around decline
