US burger giant Wendy's has announced plans to open a drive-through in Melbourne as part of an ambitious strategy to expand its presence Down Under. The popular brand, famous for its square hamburger patties, opened its first branch on Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in January 2025.
The launch marked the first of many planned Wendy's restaurants in Australia with a new master franchisee, Flynn Group, and the beginning of a "significant expansion" across the country. It later opened a flagship restaurant in Brisbane, the first-ever Haus of Wendy, in October 2025.
Melbourne Drive-Through Details
Wendy's has announced plans to open a drive-through store in Melbourne, although the exact location has yet to be announced. Possible sites include Bayswater North, Dandenong South, and South Melbourne. Flynn Group president Richard Wallis revealed that the brand offers something "fresh and new" to rival its main competitors.
"We are not taking a US brand and fitting it into the Australian market, the only thing that's American is the market logo, everything else is Australian," Mr Wallis said, as reported by The Herald Sun. "We are something that's fresh and new. It's a simple menu but delicious, and we think we offer something different to McDonald's, KFC, and Hungry Jacks. We want to be the fresh face of fast food, and this has been proven in Brisbane. It set records globally as one of the biggest opening weekends of Wendy's, ever."
Historical Context and Expansion Plans
Wendy's launched its first store in Melbourne in 1982, then expanded to 11 outlets before the Aussie stores collapsed in 1985 with an $8 million debt. Meanwhile, franchisee operator Flynn Group acquired Pizza Hut Australia in June 2023. Wendy's chief development officer Abigail Pringle said she was convinced Australia was ready to take on the appetite for another US burger chain.
Ms Pringle added that Australia was a strategic market for long-term growth for Wendy's. "Flynn Restaurant Group has incredible experience in the restaurant space, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with them," Ms Pringle said. "They have a strong leadership team, great culture, vast industry knowledge, success with our brand in the US, and we are confident that Flynn Restaurant Group is the right partner to unlock growth for Wendy's in Australia."
Other fast-food chains have struggled and taken time to get their foot into the Australian market, with Taco Bell having three attempts to succeed, one in 1981 and another in 1997, before finally getting the ball rolling in 2019.
