Wendy's wants to open in the UK next year

Wendy's is a fast food institution in US. While other American fast food giants like Five Guys, Shake Shack, Wingstop and Taco Bell have all managed to get footholds in the UK, Wendy's hasn't been able to manage such a feat. It did have outlets in the UK, but the last of those closed in 2000. Now there's been a surprising new development as Wendy's has confirmed its intention to and submitted plans for a new branch in Reading.

Wendy's has been searching for 20 UK locations since October 2019, all of which would be opened within a 20 month period. A spokesperson for Wendy's has confirmed that one of those 20 locations will be in Reading, with Reading very likely being the first of the new UK locations to open. "We plan on entering the market with company owned and operated restaurants in early 2021. The brand is very much looking forward to it and excited about the future as we enter this market."

This isn't Wendy's first foray into the UK market. The fast food chain ran 10 restaurants in the UK during the 1990s, including one in Cambridge Circus in Central London, but they didn't make a big enough impact and the last UK branch was shut in 2000.

Coincidentally, Reading was also chosen by Chick-Fil-A as its first location for an expansion into the UK market. Chick-Fil-A's adventure into the British market only lasted 8 days before the store permanently closed due to widespread pressure and protests related to the conservative Christian-owned company's deeply controversial stances on social issues.

This includes Chick-Fil-A's support of groups that oppose same-sex marriage and groups that support the practices of conversion therapy, something based on bogus science that claims that homosexuality is a curable illness.

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Do you think Wendy's will work in the UK?