- 24 April, 2006 -

Wendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN):Wendy's International, Inc. (NYSE:WEN) today announced that it has named Dave Near as Chief Operations Officer of the Wendy's brand, a new position. Near will be responsible for Wendy's U.S., Canadian and International restaurant operations - both franchised and company. He will report to interim Chief Executive Officer and President Kerrii Anderson. Reporting directly to Near will be Wendy's regional senior vice presidents of operations, as well as the Company's senior vice president of operations administration/strategic planning. Near, 37, begins his new position on May 1 and will work at the Company's headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. Near was President of Wendy's Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) in 2005 and was re-elected to the position by fellow franchisees in 2006. A majority of FAC members are elected by franchisees and the group works closely with management to continually improve restaurant operations and business results. "I am pleased that Dave is joining my executive management team. He's passionate about the business and grew up with the Wendy's brand," said Anderson. "He is a superior restaurant operator who has demonstrated an ability to lead people and produce exceptional sales and profits in his restaurants for more than a decade as a Wendy's franchisee. "Dave will focus on building relationships between the Company and our franchisees, so that they can improve their sales and profits," said Anderson. "If our franchisees are successful, the entire Company will be successful." Near is a successful Wendy's franchisee Near and his brother, Jason, have operated Wendy's restaurants as franchisees in the Austin, TX, market since 1995. They now have 29 restaurants generating approximately $42 million in sales with average unit volumes of nearly $1.5 million, which is higher than the company's system average of $1.3 million. Dave was President of the franchise business called Pisces Foods. "Dave will work closely with our management team and outstanding franchisees to improve results in all Wendy's restaurants," said Wendy's Chairman Jim Pickett. "I know he will focus our operators on excellent customer service and drive innovation throughout our system to improve every aspect of our business. He's a dynamic personality who is driven to win, and he is a great addition to our management team." Near graduated from Duke University with a B.A. degree and has an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke. He also worked for Coca-Cola Fountain/USA as a sales manager in the Northeast. "I am a third-generation restaurateur and have been around the Wendy's business all of my life," said Near. "I've been successful growing my Wendy's business as a franchisee with a relentless focus on quality, service, cleanliness and above all, people. I look forward to joining the Wendy's team and doing everything I can to restore the brand to its position as the premier restaurant operations chain in North America. I also look forward to strengthening our franchise partnerships as we work to unite the Wendy's system." Dave Near's father, Jim Near, was formerly Chairman, CEO and President of Wendy's. He was a franchisee in the Wendy's system for years and joined the Company as President in 1986. In the 1990s, Jim Near won virtually every major restaurant award in the industry, including Restaurant & Institutions "Executive of the Year" award and Nation's Restaurant News "Operator of the Year" award. Jim Near is in Wendy's Hall of Fame and the Company honors his memory and passion for people with the annual "Jim Near Legacy Award." Jim Near passed away in 1996. "My father was my mentor and guide who instilled in me the importance of honesty, integrity and work ethic," said Dave Near. "He taught me the basic fundamentals of this business, which I believe are the same fundamentals that will continue to drive success. Great food, in a clean and sparkling environment, served with a smile, is our recipe for success." Dave Near has won several awards in the Wendy's System Over the past eight years, Dave Near has received recognition for excellence in the Wendy's system, including the following: 1998: Marketer of the Year-Western Region 1999: Marketing Award-Texas Division 1999: People Excellence Award-Texas Division 1999: Wendy Award-Top Franchisee-Western Region 1999: Diamond Award-Wendy's International Marketer of the Year 2001: Restaurant Development Award-Western Region 2002: Restaurant Development Award-Western Region 2002: Appointed to the Franchise Advisory Council 2003: Service Excellence Award-Texas Division 2004: Elected to the Franchise Advisory Council John Deane is leaving the Company; new EVP of Operations to be named The Company also announced today that Executive Vice President of Operations John Deane will leave the Company as of May 1 to pursue other interests. Deane joined Wendy's in 2001 as Chief Information Officer and successfully improved the Company's restaurant systems while transforming technology into a core competency for Wendy's. Dave Near expects to name a new EVP of Operations, reporting to him as Chief Operations Officer of the Wendy's brand, within 90 days. This timeframe will enable him to transition into his new position and develop an organizational structure for operations. Safe Harbor statement Certain information in this news release, particularly information regarding future economic performance and finances, and plans, expectations and objectives of management, is forward looking. Factors set forth in our Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, in addition to other possible factors not listed, could affect the Company's actual results and cause such results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Please review the Company's Safe Harbor statement at http://www.wendys-invest.com/safeharbor. Wendy's International, Inc. overview Wendy's International, Inc. is one of the world's largest restaurant operating and franchising companies with more than 9,900 total restaurants and five quality brands, including Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers?, Tim Hortons?, Baja Fresh? Mexican Grill, Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodoro?. More information about the Company is available at www.wendys-invest.com.

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