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US burger chain Wendy’s has announced plans to return to the UK in a move which the company says will create around 12,000 full or part time catering jobs in the coming years.

Although Wendy’s might not be a familiar name to students in the UK these days, the fast food chain, famous for its square-shaped burger and huge portions, had a presence here until just over 20 years ago.

The Wendy’s burger brand is massive in the US, but now the chain is set to re-enter the UK market and has plans to open up to 400 new restaurants to compete with other QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) rivals such as McDonald’s, Five Guys and Burger King.

Wendy’s outlets typically provide jobs from an average of 40 members of staff and the company is hoping to open at least 300 new branches in the UK, leading to around 12,000 vacancies as the expansion plans roll out.

The first new branch of Wendy’s will open in Reading on the 2nd June, followed by further launches in Oxford and Stratford in the near future.

Announcing the plans, a statement from the company, said: “The UK launch will spearhead a European-wide expansion as Wendy’s looks to build on strong growth on the other side of the Atlantic, where the brand last year dethroned Burger King to become the Number Two player in the US hamburger market.”

Wendy’s Head of International Operations, Abigail Pringle, expanded on the plans, saying: “When we looked at where we wanted to grow the brand outside the US, we wanted to do it where we could grow to a significant scale. That needed to be several 100 restaurants, to be able to grow and be able to compete and to steal market share. We’re talking about 300 to 400 hundred restaurants.”

“The United Kingdom will be our beachhead to European expansion. We believe it is a growing market and it has lots of great growth ahead of it. We also know that great American brands have been successful. Burger brands have been unbelievably successful there. But we believe that we can challenge those brands,” added Ms Pringle.

Wendy’s was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Ohio and the business was named after one of his children, Melinda(?). The chain has since grown to a portfolio of almost 7,000 restaurants and serves some individual meals with a footprint of up to 1,500 calories!