The annual NRN Power List is the definitive list of industry leaders who are not only setting trends today, but also shaping them for tomorrow.
Engineering big growth with smaller restaurants
The annual NRN Power List is the definitive list of people setting foodservice trends today and shaping them for tomorrow. See the full list >>
Abigail Pringle, Chief global development officer and international, Wendy's
Abigail Pringle has been making an impact at Wendy’s since 2002. Most recently, she’s been the chief development officer since 2014 and added international to her portfolio last year.
In 2017, Wendy’s announced a plan to add 1,000 units internationally by 2020 — by making them smaller, as small as 2,600 square feet and 56 to 58 seats. The streamlined restaurants are easier to open mainly because they require less real estate.
“The new designs enable the company to build on half an acre or even a quarter of an acre if needed,” Pringle said in a 2017 investor meeting.
In addition to being smaller, the new units are more energy efficient than traditional sites, with low-er-energy heating and air-conditioning units, LED lighting and energy-saving kitchen equipment.
On top of those benefits, the new builds are $300,000 cheaper than traditional sites. A second suite of designs introduced in 2018 tar-gets an additional $150,000 of savings.
As of the third quarter of 2018, Wendy’s had 6,600 units, and with Pringle spearheading expansion, the brand is on its way to its goal of 7,500 by 2020.
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