Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Exploring Strategic Alternatives for Arby’s

ATLANTA--(Hospitality Business News) --Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN), the third-largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, today announced it is exploring strategic alternatives for Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., including a sale of the brand. UBS Investment Bank is assisting in the process.

Arby’s® is the second-largest quick-service sandwich chain in the U.S. with nearly 3,700 restaurants. Arby’s restaurants specialize in slow roasted and freshly sliced roast beef sandwiches as well as Market Fresh® deli-style sandwiches, toasted subs and salads, all with the convenience of a drive-through.

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Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Reports Third Quarter 2010 Results

Roland Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, stated: “The third quarter was a difficult one for both brands. While the Wendy’s® brand outperformed many quick service restaurant peers with systemwide same-store sales of -1.7%, the lack of growth resulted in sales deleverage. This deleverage effect combined with commodity cost increases caused Wendy’s third quarter restaurant margins to fall by approximately 200 basis points year-over-year, excluding the impact of incremental advertising for Wendy’s new breakfast. Arby’s® systemwide same-store sales were -5.9%. Company-operated restaurant margins were impacted by sales deleverage and commodity cost increases as restaurant margins fell by 170 basis points. On a consolidated basis, adjusted EBITDA¹ was slightly lower than our expectations at approximately $100 million; however, we are reiterating our adjusted EBITDA guidance for 2010.

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5 worst fast-food meals marketed to kids

The most recent issue of Good Medicine lists what it considers the five worst fast-food meals marketed to children. The list was compiled by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:
McDonald's Mighty Kids Meal – with a double cheeseburger, fries and chocolate milk: 840 calories and 37 grams of fat.
Wendy's Kids' Meal – A chicken sandwich, fries and a chocolate Frosty: 770 calories and 34 grams of fat.
KFC Kids' Meal – Popcorn Chicken, potato wedges, string cheese and soda: 800 calories, 1,800 mg of sodium.
A&W Kids' Meal – cheeseburger, fries and soda: 780 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat.
Burger King's BK Kids – Breakfast muffin sandwich meal: 95 mg of cholesterol, and it exceeds the recommended daily allowance of sodium.

New York’s Only Landmarked Arby’s Calls It Quits

It was hailed as the most beautiful Arby’s in the world, but perhaps it was just too lovely to last. The fast-food chain restaurant that opened January within the landmarked location of Gage & Tollner, once one of the Brooklyn’s most venerable eateries, has closed down.

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Wendy's/Arby's Net Falls 28% as Sales Decline

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc.'s second-quarter earnings fell 28% with same-store sales at both Wendy's and Arby's declining.

The company plans to combat the decline by focusing on lower prices. Wendy's will market Frosty desserts and spicy chicken nuggets for 99 cents each, in part to coincide with the back-to-school period where consumers are more frugal.

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Clueless Wendy's Franchisees Surprised Their Company is a Takeover Target

Here’s something you don’t see every day: Franchise owners so out of touch with how their chain is doing, they have no idea their corporate parent is a takeover target. After Wendy’s/Arby’s Group (WEN) chairman and major shareholder Nelson Peltz announced earlier this week he’d been contacted about a possible sale of the struggling company, the head of Wendy’s biggest franchise-owner association told Nation’s Restaurant News members were shocked and dismayed at the news.

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Battle of the Buns: Wendy's Takes 2nd Shot at Dismissing Antitrust Suit

Fast food restaurant chain Wendy's International Inc. is taking a second shot at dismissing a closely watched antitrust case filed by a franchisee against Wendy's and a subsidiary that makes hamburger buns.

On June 16 in Burda v. Wendy's International Inc. in the Southern District of Ohio, Wendy's and another defendant filed a motion to dismiss franchisee Robert Burda's amended complaint. The defendants argue that Burda and the corporate entities he controls are not properly prosecuting the case. They also argue that Burda and the other plaintiffs have failed to comply with a court order requiring them to obtain new counsel by June 3.

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Wendy’s/Arby’s a takeover target

ATLANTA (June 11, 2010) Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. chairman Nelson Peltz disclosed Thursday he received an inquiry expressing interest in the acquisition of the fast-food company, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

In the filing, Peltz indicated he is considering the matter, which was made by an unnamed third party, and would review his options as well as alternatives with regard to the possible acquisition of the company. Peltz’s Trian Fund Management LP, which owns about 23.5 percent of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, is the company’s largest shareholder.

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Wendy's/Arby's Group Reports 4th Quarter and Full-Year 2009 Results

ATLANTA, Mar 04, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN), the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, today reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended January 3, 2010.
Roland Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wendy's/Arby's Group, said: "In 2009, we achieved 16% growth in annual adjusted EBITDA1, despite the challenging economic environment

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Wendy's to exit Japan, 71 restaurants to close

LOS ANGELES, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc (WEN.N) said an agreement with its Japan franchisee will expire at year end, resulting in the closure of 71 Wendy's restaurants in a fast food market dominated by McDonald's Corp (MCD.N).

Wendy's has been in Japan since 1980 and most of its stores are located in and around Tokyo.

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Is Wendy's/Arby's thinking donuts?

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. has been looking for a third brand to bring into the fold, and it may have found it in Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. Business news service Briefing.com said Monday that the the donut brand was "the subject of chatter about a potential takeover by Wendy's/Arby's Group," as reported by Barron's.

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Arby’s® Expands with Development Agreements for 47 New Locations in the U.S. and Canada

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN), announced today that it has signed agreements in the first half of 2009 with 11 new and seven existing franchisees for the development of 47 new Arby’s restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

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http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090818006011&newsLang=en

Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. Reports 2nd Quarter 2009 Results

Second-Quarter and Year-to-Date Highlights
- Wendy's(R) North America systemwide same-store sales were approximately flat (a decrease of 0.4%). Wendy's company-operated restaurant margin improved 370 basis points compared to the second quarter a year ago.
- Arby's(R) North America systemwide same-store sales decreased 6.9% and reflected an improved trend from the first quarter of 2009. Arby's company-operated restaurant margin decreased 100 basis points compared to the second quarter a year ago.
- Consolidated revenues were $913 million in the second quarter and $1.8 billion year-to-date.
- Second quarter 2009 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA")1, excluding pre-tax integration-related costs of $7.3 million, was $117.2 million, and increased 13.2% as compared to pro-forma 2008 second quarter adjusted EBITDA of $103.5 million.

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http://ir.wendysarbys.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=67548&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1317821&highlight=

Wendy's Can Learn a Few Lessons from Yum Brands

In looking at the June 29, 2009, Barron’s “puff-piece” article on Wendy/Arby’s Group (WEN) and its upward price movement Monday, I was reminded that one of the company's projected growth platforms, other than increasing number of US stores, improving margins at Wendy’s and improving R&D (Wendy’s breakfast was pulled until 2010) was international growth, via franchising and multi-brand development.

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http://seekingalpha.com/article/146381-wendy-s-can-learn-a-few-lessons-from-yum-brands?source=feed

Wendy's Is a Tasty Buy - Barron's

Wendy's/Arby's Group Signs Major Development Agreement for the Middle East and North Africa

Wendy's/Arby's to offer $550 million in notes

Wendy's shares dip after analysts question sales

Wendy's Brand Signs Development Agreement in Singapore

Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. Reports 1st Quarter 2009 Results

Supplemental information
http://ccbn.10kwizard.com/xml/download.php?repo=tenk&ipage=6308803&format=XLS

ATLANTA, May 07, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Wendy's/Arby's Group, Inc. (NYSE: WEN), the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 29, 2009. These 2009 results include the effect of the September 2008 merger between Triarc Companies, Inc. and Wendy's International, Inc., however the results for the first quarter of 2008 only include results for Triarc Companies, Inc.
First-Quarter Highlights
Wendy's(R) North America systemwide same-store sales increased 1.0% with company-operated restaurant margin improvement of 100 basis points from the first quarter a year ago.
Arby's(R) North America systemwide same-store sales decreased 8.7%, including an improvement to -2.5% for the month of March following the launch of the new Roastburger(TM) line of sandwiches.
Consolidated revenues were $864.0 million.
Net loss was ($10.9) million or ($0.02) per share, including net after-tax special expense items of approximately $15 million.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), excluding pre-tax integration-related costs of $7.8 million, was $80.3 million.
The Company completed an amendment of Arby's senior secured credit facility which added Wendy's as a co-borrower.