California Regulator Probes Waymo Robotaxi Stalls During San Francisco Power Outage 
California DMV Proposes New Safety Rules for Autonomous Vehicles After Waymo Incidents 
China Revises 2024 GDP Lower After Final Review, Eyes Growth in 2025 
Hanwha Signals Readiness to Build Nuclear-Powered Submarines at Philly Shipyard for U.S. Navy 
Platinum Surges to Record High as Supply Crunch and Policy Shift Drive Historic Rally 
John Carreyrou Sues Major AI Firms Over Alleged Copyrighted Book Use in AI Training 
BOJ Minutes Reveal Growing Debate Over Interest Rate Hikes and Inflation Risks 
Japan Approves Record ¥122.3 Trillion Budget as Takaichi Seeks Fiscal Balance 
Brazilian Oil Workers’ Strike Continues as Key Petrobras Union Rejects Proposal 
FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement 
Russian Stocks End Lower as Energy and Mining Shares Weigh on MOEX Index 
Oil Prices Rise on Venezuela Sanctions and Nigeria Airstrikes Despite Annual Losses 
US and Japan Fast-Track $550 Billion Strategic Investment Initiative 
Tokyo Core Inflation Stays Above BOJ Target, Strengthening Case for Further Rate Hikes 
Oil Prices Hold Steady in Asia as Geopolitical Tensions Support Market 
Mexico Antitrust Review of Viva Aerobus–Volaris Deal Signals Growth for Airline Sector 
Taiwan Stock Market Ends Higher as Semiconductor and Energy Shares Lead Gains 
Wendy’s announced this week that it is planning to set up at least 700 ghost kitchens in the United States, the U.K., and Canada by 2025. The fast-food chain revealed that it will be carrying out this project in partnership with Reef Technology, a start-up company.
According to CNBC, Wendy’s decided to put up ghost kitchens to address the customers’ demand. The kitchens will fulfill delivery orders of Wendy’s meals that are placed via DoorDash or other third-party delivery services.
Reef Technology stated that its services help restaurants save on costs since there is less labor requirement and there is no need to provide parking lots too. It was mentioned that Wendy’s and Reef already partnered in the past and created eight ghost kitchens in Canada.
Apparently, the project yielded good results, so the plan to put up more ghost kitchens was developed. For this year alone, the burger joint is planning to open at least 50 ghost kitchens.
In any case, it was said that Wendy’s has lower expected sales for the ghost kitchen locations, but despite this, it is still looking forward to a solid ROI or return on its investment. The ghost kitchens will also allow the fast food to expand its reach in urban locations. Based on the deal, Reef will be handling the buying of kitchens and hiring of employees.
"The demand for convenient delivery solutions means we must look for opportunities beyond our traditional restaurant formats, especially in dense urban areas," Wendy’s president, International, and Chief Development Office, Abigail Pringle, said in a press release via Yahoo Finance. "This partnership with REEF is testimony to our ambitions, the potential we see to grow our beloved brand, and our quest to reach more customers in more ways."
Michael Beacham, president of REEF Kitchens, also said that they are proud to be working with Wendy's. "Wendy's is an incredible brand and we look forward to being a part of their continued success in the future," he said.
Meanwhile, Wendy’s plans to put up hundreds of ghost kitchens have a $100 million development fund, as per Restaurant Business Online. The project is part of the company’s ambitious global development plan.
