FOOD NEWS
Why Wendy's Serves Baked Potatoes (And Most Fast Food Chains Don't)
By Angel Albring
While fast food is often considered unhealthy, there are ways to make healthier choices at these types of restaurants — for instance, choosing grilled or baked options instead of fried. Another option, if you find yourself at Wendy’s, is to order the baked potato — a signature item that’s been on its menu since the 1980s but rarely appears on other fast food chains’ menus.
Wendy’s serves baked potatoes for a few reasons: They are relatively low cost, and baking them requires minimal equipment and labor. Additionally, they are a healthier option, and since Wendy’s markets itself as a "fresher" alternative, with more nutritious items than its competitors, offering a baked potato fits this brand image.
Baked potatoes can take an hour to cook at 350 F — not exactly fast food — but Wendy’s speeds up the process with convection ovens, which aren’t usually found in other fast food restaurants. That’s not to say other chains haven’t offered baked potatoes in the past like Carl’s Jr., but Wendy’s seems to have the market cornered, selling around 1 million every single week.