Queues at Wendy's as US burger chain opens near junction 30 of M1

The queue outside Wendy's for free burgers on opening day at Tallys End, Barlborough
-Credit: (Image: Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC)


Around 100 customers queued to get their hands on a free burger when a new Wendy's opened its doors just off the M1. Early birds arriving before a 10.30am deadline were treated to a freebie and one of the US chain's famous Frosty desserts.

The fast food restaurant has opened around 500 yards away from junction 30 of the M1 near Barlborough in Derbyshire. Replacing a KFC outlet, it joins Costa and McDonald's at the site at Tallys End. In a dig at their competitor there's a sign in the car park with an arrow for fresh beef pointing to Wendy's and an arrow for frozen beef pointing in the opposite direction towards McDonald's.

The American chain, founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Ohio, is renowned for its square-shaped patties, not round "because they don't cut corners." The burgers are fresh, never frozen, and always cooked to order.

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First in the queue were Rachel Young, 40, from Killamarsh, and Jasmine Jamison, 29, of Barlborough. Rachel said: "We were in Costa - I didn't realise it was opening, so we came across at 9.20am. We've been to the Sheffield one. My little boy loves the nuggets, they are his favourites. He'll be excited." Jasmine added: "The burgers are better quality. It's a good burger."

Staff at the new Wendy's at Tallys End, Barlborough, on opening day
Staff at the new Wendy's at Tallys End, Barlborough, on opening day -Credit:Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC

The menu starts with breakfast, including Wendy's take on classic sandwiches with bacon or sausage, muffins and croissants served up until 10.30am.

The burger menu features Dave's single, double and triple, and the signature Baconator, two quarter pounder patties with Applewood smoked bacon and American cheese. As well as a classic chicken burger, there's variations with avocado and a Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich with spicy chicken, cream cheese, jalapenos, and smoked bacon. The vegetarian option is the Curry Bean Burger.

The rest of the menu is devoted to chicken nuggets, wraps, salads and an array of sides. It's not just fries either - baked potatoes can be ordered with toppings of bacon and cheese and sour cream and chives. Pots of chilli con carne are also served or you can have it on loaded fries with cheese.

The Frosty, Wendy's famous dessert, is neither ice cream or a milkshake, but something in between. Regular flavours are vanilla and chocolate with a summer special of white chocolate and strawberry.

Inside Wendy's at Tallys End, Barborough
Inside Wendy's at Tallys End, Barborough -Credit:Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC

It is the second branch of Wendy's to open in Derbyshire - the first set up shop at the new College Retail Park, in Normanton Road, Derby, last November - but they're different franchises. The latest is run by Square Burgers.

Arron Morley, head of operations, said: "This is our tenth in the UK so it's a big opening for us. We cover from Nottingham to Newcastle out to Hull and Blackpool so we've a big territory to grow in.

"We have been looking for drive-thru locations, particularly very close to the M1 - you've got busy traffic passing through, it's accessible and before it used to be a KFC site so it's quite easy to transition into a Wendy's. To bring Wendy's to the Midlands area is a great opportunity for us. This is the furthest south for us at the moment. We have a mixture of sites - high street locations and drive-thrus."

Chicken burger at Wendy's
Chicken burger at Wendy's -Credit:Joseph Raynor/ Reach PLC

Commenting on the cheeky fresh vs frozen signage, Arron said: "We are quite bold with our marketing. We go all out with that. We've got one in Hull that broke all records when we opened that right next to a McDonald's. We pride ourselves on a high quality product. Fresh not frozen is our tagline. All our beef is sourced locally and cooked fresh to order so it's not held [under heat lamps].

"The beauty about Wendy's is it's higher quality but quick service. We pride ourselves on as being as good quality as Five Guys but just at a better price. What makes us a little bit different is the salads that we do, the healthier options. We do jacket potatoes as well. You don't normally see those in a quick service restaurant."

Wendy's, named after the founder's daughter, was a familiar name in the UK in the 80s and 90s but by 2001 the restaurants closed due to high operating and property costs. The brand, which has 6,000 restaurants worldwide, returned to the UK in 2021.

The restaurant will be open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and on Sundays from 8am to 10pm.