Blackpool Set to Open its First Wendy's Restaurant

After pulling out of the UK in 2000, Wendy’s are back! In October 2019, Wendy’s announced it was returning to the UK market, which it had served from 1980 to 1986, then again from 1992 to 2000. The first of 20 planned restaurants was due to open in 2020 in Stoke-on-Trent, but it was later announced that the first location would be Reading, Berkshire. The Blackpool site is set to open this spring or summer on the former Viva Vegas Diner’s site, close to the Tower.

Wendy’s are all about serving up fresh food, even if it means going the extra mile. When you walk through our doors, they do what they can to make everyone feel at home because their family extends through your community.

In the beginning of a journey – on November 15, 1969, Dave Thomas opened his very first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio at 257 East Broad Street in the USA. In no time, the quick-service chain became known for its square beef patties, made from fresh beef, and iconic Frosty^® desserts. Wendy’s introduced the first modern drive through to the world in November 1970; what Dave Thomas coined the “Pick-Up Window”. This innovation was so revolutionary that customers needed instructions on how to talk through the speaker to place an order. Originally called the “drive-in window,” Dave wanted to change the name from something that could attract cruisers and joyriders. Wendy’s had its initial public stock offering on the NASDAQ exchange, issuing one million shares of common stock at $28 per share in September 1976.

Wendy’s returned to the United Kingdom on 2 June 2021 in Reading, approximately 50 miles west of London. The restaurant opened at noon local time for lunch, and excited fans started forming a queue outside in the early morning hours (around 4:00 am!). Fun opening day fact: the most popular menu item sold was the Baconator®! Wendy’s Blackpool restaurant opened on 10 April 2025.