Wendy’s Revamps Salad Lineup, Reveals Plans for Breakfast Menu

Image courtesy PRNewsFoto/Wendy's

Four new salads appeared at Wendy’s locations Friday, replacing all of the  items previously offered as part of the restaurant’s Garden Sensations line.

In a move characterized by the Associated Press as an “effort to target people who care about ingredients and what they eat,” Wendy’s will utilize a specialized list of ingredients in its new salads.  A press release touting the new entrées mentions “11 types of greens, including a spring mix; fruits like cranberries and two types of apples; real blue cheese crumbles and shaved Asiago cheese; fresh Pico de Gallo and guacamole; roasted pecans and warm chicken.”  To complement the salads, the Ohio-based hamburger chain will offer four Marzetti salad dressings created exclusively for Wendy’s.

Two of the new salads share similarities with Carl’s Jr. premium salads, which themselves debuted rather recently, in late December.  Wendy’s new Apple Pecan Chicken Salad substitutes candied pecans for candied walnuts, blue cheese for feta cheese, and a pomegranate vinaigrette dressing for a raspberry vinaigrette, but other than that has an identical ingredient list with competing Cranberry, Apple, Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad.  Wendy’s Baja Salad shares its Southwest theme with the Carl’s Jr. Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad, but tweaks the concept by adding avocado and chili.

Along with unveiling its currently available menu items, Wendy’s Friday also released future plans to bring breakfast to its stores.  The Associated Press notes that Roland Smith, CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Incorporated, “expects breakfast items to be grilled egg sandwiches, oatmeal bars, roasted potatoes and fresh fruit.”  Chief Marketing Officer Ken Calwell refused to confirm any planned items, but indicated that the restaurant will “use what it learns through its new line of salads” to inform its eventual breakfast lineup.  In an article published on its website, fresh fruit and vegetable weekly The Packer revealed that Wendy’s will serve breakfast at all locations by the end of 2011.

The Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, BLT Cobb Salad, Baja Salad, and Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad can be found at all Wendy’s locations now for $5.99.

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