Wendy's exec says the chain's new breakfast menu 'is going to be America's favorite breakfast,' despite multiple failed previous attempts

• Wendy's has never successfully launched a breakfast menu.
• Previous attempts to enter the breakfast market have been stymied by McDonald's and other titans.
• However, the chain's executives are confident that this time will be different, with Chief Marketing Officer Carl Avella saying, "We believe this is going to be America's favorite breakfast."
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Wendy's and breakfast have a long and complicated history.

The chain is rolling out its new breakfast menu nationwide on March 2. While the response from fans has been enthusiastic, investors have been skeptical. Each time Wendy's has attempted to launch breakfast in the past, it has been snuffed out by aggressive advertising by competitors.

But Wendy's is confident that it will work this time.

"We believe this is going to be America's favorite breakfast," Wendy's Chief Marketing Officer Carl Avella said at a media preview for the chain's breakfast menu.

Avella said that the nationwide nature of the rollout will inoculate it against the vulnerabilities that doomed previous regional launches. Previously, McDonald's bought out ad space in regional markets where Wendy's rolled out breakfast menus, essentially handicapping the launches before they happened.

But Wendy's has been building public awareness of its newest breakfast menu since 2019, taking a slow and steady approach to entering a notoriously difficult market. The chain has been testing its new menu at 300 locations, and Avella says the customer response has been encouraging. And in a pre-emptive provocation, Wendy's recruited former McDonald's chef Mike Haracz to promote the new menu.

John Li, Wendy's vice president of culinary innovation, told reporters at the preview event that the chain is embracing the upcoming clash with more established breakfast titans like McDonald's and Chick-fil-A.

"Bring it on," he said. "We know that we've got a menu that's going to clean their clocks."