Fast food companies have had to make plenty of changes over the course of the last year and a half, from implementing COVID safety measures to dealing with supply shortages to figuring out how to draw in customers again. Sometimes that involves taking some risks, even if it means abandoning old favorites. That certainly goes for the major change coming to Wendy's, which is affecting one of the restaurant's most popular menu items. Read on to find out what this fast food chain is planning to get rid of in just a few weeks.
RELATED: Wendy's Is Permanently Getting Rid of This Menu Item.
Wendy's is getting rid of its old fry recipe next month.
ShutterstockWendy's is getting ready to change its fries, according to CNN. The fast food chain says it's changing the recipe to create a fry that retains more heat and keeps its crispiness longer than it did before. According to the company, this change has come as more and more people are shifting to ordering via drive-thrus and delivery services because of the pandemic.
"A lot of the design characteristics are built around making sure that we can serve a hot and crispy fry every time, no matter how you choose to access Wendy's," Kurt Kane, the president of Wendy's, told CNN. The new fries are expected to be available nationwide by mid-September.
The fries will look the same but taste different.
iStockYou may not notice a difference in appearance when you order the new fries, as Kane said that the fast food chain landed on a look that's "fairly consistent in shape and size where we've been historically." But the flavor will be different. According to Kane, customers are "going to notice a difference as soon as they taste it."
"What we've done is balance the cut of the fry and kept a little bit of the skin of the potato on the fry to be able to drive flavor," he explained. "We used a batter system that allows us to be able to maintain crispiness, both when they're fresh and hot out of the fryer as well as several minutes later."
It's been more than a decade since Wendy's last changed its fries.
ShutterstockThe last time Wendy's changed its fries was in Nov. 2010, more than a decade ago. That's when the chain introduced natural cut French fries, which were made from Russet potatoes, seasoned with sea salt, and cut with a natural "skin-on" texture. According to CNN, that was the first time the chain had made any changes to its fries since opening in 1969. Kane told the news outlet that the revamped fries in 2021 will still be salted, but served in a new packaging that "reinforces what makes the fries special."
Fries are the most popular food item sold at Wendy's.
ShutterstockAccording to CNN, fries are Wendy's top-selling menu item. It may seem like a risky endeavor messing with the recipe of your most beloved menu item, but Wendy's told CNN that the brand conducted a national taste test that showed participants preferred the new fries over McDonald's fries in a two-to-one margin. The company also spent the past four years researching how to upgrade the fries, so the new recipe is on the "right track to outperform our old fry," Kane said.
RELATED: If You Live Here, Bacon Is About to "Disappear," Experts Warn.
