Wendy’s to Build 1,000 New Restaurants, But How Many in Missouri?

If you're a fan of Wendy's, there's news that means the chain could be making a comeback in Missouri. They've announced plans to build 1,000 new locations, but how many in the Show Me State?

I saw this somewhat encouraging news shared by Restaurant Dive today. They pointed to an investor's day statement from Wendy's that said the following:

"Outlines expectations to add 1,000 net new restaurants globally by 2028"

Now, let's do some math. The official Wendy's store locator says that the chain currently has 105 restaurants in Missouri. If you look at the map, you can see the part of the state where Wendy's are and where they are not.

The two parts of Missouri that stick out like a sore thumb are the northern half of the state and the boot heel. Does this new announcement mean that Wendy's wants to return its presence to the more rural parts of Missouri or will we see a bigger cluster in the metro areas? I'm betting that Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff wouldn't mind having a new Wendy's, but I'm not restaurant expert either.

I wonder if they're planning to put more locations in the Kansas City area to go head-to-head with Patrick Mahomes Whataburger places. Time will tell over the next 3 years as to how many and where the new Wendy's in Missouri will land.