‘Dynamic Pricing’ Coming To Colorado Wendy’s? Is That Like ‘Surge’?

Fast food goers around Colorado could be in for quite the change as far as what they pay when going out to eat during busy "peak" or "non-peak" hours, and Wendy's could be the franchise leading the charge.

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Wendy's Restaurants To Use "Dynamic Pricing" Like Uber During Busier Times?

Since fast food restaurants came onto the scene, it's biggest appeals have always been speed, convince, and affordability. At one point, you could get an entire meal in minutes for less than $3.

Times change, and costs rise due to having to pay more for the product being served and pay increases for those making the food, etc., but fast food prices are at an all-time high.

So long are most $1 or value menu items that we all once loved, and fast food chain Wendy's, which has always been known for its value menu, is potentially taking steps that could eventually make the current high prices, even higher.

Wendy's Announces New "Dynamic" Pricing

Let me start with I LOVE Wendy's. They've been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, but the update released by their CEO Kirk Tanner originally had some folks bummed out. It's already $10-15 a person to eat at Wendy's these days, which makes it incredibly more challenging for some families to dine there as it is, and now will it get worse?

Wendy's new "dynamic pricing," which was thought to be similar to what ride shares do during "surge" times, is set to test rollout in 2025. Originally believed to add even more cost during peak lunch and dinner hours, they're saying it's quite the opposite.

Classic Wendy's "Where's The Beef?" TV Commercial

After all of the backlash from their initial announcement, Wendy's is now clarifying that their new pricing plan is to offer even more value, but most are still leary. What "dynamic pricing" means is "flexibility to change the menu more easily and to offer discounts and value offers to our customers."

Wendy's is investing over 20 million dollars in new high-tech menu boards that will automatically update prices in real-time, which they say is to offer more value during off-peak times and hours.

To de-bunk the "surge" theory, Wendy's released a statement saying:

We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most. Any features we may test in the future would be designed to benefit our customers and restaurant crew members.

Only time will tell if all of this investment is to truly offer more value to its loyal customer base, but we're hopeful that this doesn't turn into a "surge" type situation like originally believed. Now, who's up for a #6?