Wendy’s launched its first value menu in October 1989 — seven items ranging from a junior bacon cheeseburger to a garden side salad to a small Frosty, all priced at 99 cents.
It was the first volley of a revolution that changed the fast-food industry in America.
“I think the Wendy’s 99-cent value menu was a very innovative approach to pricing that has stood the test of time and created a way of life for fast-food-chain customers,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, a food-industry research firm in Chicago.
And with payroll taxes rising and consumer confidence falling, it’s time for value again. Restaurant chains such as Wendy’s and Taco Bell are making over their value menus to balance customers’ dwindling paychecks with rising food costs.