- 25 January, 2005 -

Fresh Fruit. That's what consumers who are looking for tasty, nutritious menu options will soon find at Wendy's Restaurants. The Company announced today that the U.S. introduction of a fresh fruit bowl and cup are nearly complete. More than 80 percent of Wendy's restaurants now offer these options, with completion of the rollout by mid February. The bowl and cup feature fresh cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pineapple chunks along with red seedless grapes. The entr e-sized fruit bowl comes with a low-fat, strawberry-flavored yogurt for dipping. "We're giving our customers an easy, convenient way to add more fruit to their daily diet," said Tom Mueller, president and chief operating officer, Wendy's North America. The new menu choices help consumers follow a key recommendation of the recently released 2005 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services recommend that people consume two cups of fruit per day (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). That makes Wendy's new selections especially convenient since the fruit bowl allows consumers to meet the recommendation, and the fruit cup provides half of the daily requirement. Fruits, in general, are high in fiber; contain important nutrients like vitamins A and C, folate and potassium; and are relatively low in calories. Fruit One of Many Innovations "Our high quality, fresh fruit options are not only good for you, they taste great. This is the latest in a series of menu innovations from Wendy's that give consumers greater variety and more nutritious options," Mueller said. In late December, Wendy's introduced a Combo Choices menu whereby customers can substitute, at no additional charge, either a baked potato, small chili or one of two side salads for French fries when ordering a combo meal. Last year, the Company also began giving parents the opportunity to switch a mandarin orange cup for French fries when purchasing a Kids' Meal for their children. In addition, 2% reduced fat white or 1% low-fat chocolate milk can be substituted for a soft drink. There is no additional charge for making these substitutions. Both the milk -- served in easy-to-hold, plastic bottles that appeal to children -- and the mandarin oranges can be purchased a la carte. Research shows that fresh cut fruit has become a $300 million business for the grocery trade and growing by more than 15% per year,* but it has been an area largely untapped by the quick-service restaurant industry. The suggested price for Wendy's fruit bowl is $4.19 and $2.19 for the cup. Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurants was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas and is the third largest quick-service restaurant chain in the world, with more than 6,500 restaurants in the United States, Canada and international markets. *Source: Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. based on Information Resources Inc. (IRI) and International Fresh-cut Produce Association (IFPA) data.

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