Frosties and chili will soon be available on State Street as national fast food chain Wendy’s plans to move into a vacant storefront on the 500 block.
Fitchburg Wendy’s Manager Steve Kirchenbeit said they are unsure exactly when the new Wendy’s location will open its doors, but management is shooting for an opening in January. The restaurant will fill the space that previously housed Full of Bull and a combination Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said this is actually a return for Wendy’s, which had a State Street location years ago on the 600 block.
Mary Carbine, director of the downtown Business Improvement District, said she believes the new business will be positive for State Street.
“National companies like [Wendy’s] can be part of a healthy business mix,” she said. “They deliver something that a segment of customers want, and they wouldn’t exist if people did not want the products they were selling.”
Carbine said she often hears concern from patrons that the downtown area, and State Street in particular, has too many “chain” businesses. However, Carbine said this is an “unrealistic” representation.
She said the downtown area has consistently had around 85 percent independent and locally owned businesses since she joined the improvement district in 2007.
“I just think this is important…because there’s often a conception that chains are taking over downtown Madison, and well, they’re not,” Carbine. “We have really strong locally and independently-owned businesses.”
Verveer said while national chains are fine in small numbers, he would be concerned if their numbers on State Street were to grow significantly.
“I would be absolutely horrified if the majority of State Street became national chains, be they restaurants or stores,” Verveer said.
Still, Verveer said having more affordable food is definitely a positive side of the new eatery.
Carbine also said a McDonald’s used to be located on State Street in the 1980s, with a Burger King at the corner of Lake Street and University Avenue.
She added chain businesses also bring an element of stability to the area, which has seen several store closures this year.
“[Chain restaurants] do tend to bring some stability in some cases,” Carbine said. “Sometimes we’ll have visitors from out of town and they want something familiar and something known and it’s just an aspect of the market that it exists, it’s there.”
Wendy’s will join national chains including the Gap, Walgreens and Urban Outfitters on State Street. Verveer said all of these chains have done relatively well in Madison.
“They certainly provide amenities that bring people to State Street that might not other wise come,” Verveer said.
Verveer said Wendy’s will still need certification from the city’s Health Department before they open.
Carbine said the complicated part of establishing the new restaurant is actually the leasing negotiations because it can take between six and 18 months for businesses to negotiate leases. She said it could be quicker for Wendy’s, as it is an established chain that probably has a streamlined process in place for opening new stores.
