Redeem now As the fast food wars continue and McDonald's turnaround picks up more steam and market shares, competitors are taking notice.
Fast food competitors are relying increasingly on "artisan" branding and more health conscious options in their attempt to court the finicky Millennial palate.
Wendy's new advertising campaign focuses on its "fresh, never frozen" burgers, a shot at McDonald's frozen patties.
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in.And recently, Wendy's changed their regular buns to premium "bakery style" buns — a sly shift towards the growing artisan trend.
The bun is the unappreciated workhorse of the fast food burger; they're the unsung vehicle for the bacon, beef, cheese, and whatever else may go into your delicious burger. The behind-the-scenes crew for the main attraction, if you will.
Smashed, crushed, and forgotten — such is often their fate. But now there are myriad premium options at chains. And while some are less appealing than others, Wendy's has taken a step in the right direction. After all, buns may be overlooked, but if they're bad, what does that say about the burger?
Before, Wendy's buns were a curious affair resembling lumpy dinner rolls, and if memory serves correctly, always feeling a bit stale to the touch – strangely firm.
The cornmeal dusting is a nice visual touch, but honestly I don't see the point to it otherwise. Does it add anything? Texture, crunch? Not to me. Luckily, it would seem Wendy's has bid adieu to the cornmeal.
The new bun is rather ... glossy. It looks very similar to McDonald's relatively recent "Artisan roll" option. It stands up to the rigors of handling – no mushed bun here. The bread is pretty spongy and light, taking no attention from the burger within.
The new bun is supposedly inspired by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas' original recipe. What that means exactly, I'm not sure, but it does taste much less stale than most buns.
The taste is exactly similar to the McDonald's bun, as well: there's a slight sweetness to it that seems to work well with a savory burger.
This change signals a growing industry shift towards transparency of ingredients and the catering to more picky millennial taste buds.
The new bun makes Wendy's burger superior to McDonald's premium offerings.
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