Wendy’s UVU location debuted after much anticipation

After nearly 10 years of waiting, Wendy’s franchise owners Herb and Kim Pumphrey achieved their goal of opening a new location at UVU.

The restaurant officially opened Monday, Jan. 7 when classes resumed for the spring semester. 

Before the grand opening, Wendy’s held a soft open Jan. 2, which generated over $1,000 in profits, even though students had yet to return to campus.

“Since we’ve opened, this location made the same amount of sales as one of our other locations with a full menu and a drive thru,” Kim said.

This location is unique in that it has a simplified menu, limited hours and a quick turn around of fresh food.

Kim said that the simple menu helps keep the wait times short and the food fresh because it is generally made to order. 

The on-campus Wendy’s does not offer medium or large combo meal sizes and only offers one salad size, but this is what keeps the wait times low for students.

The Pumphreys hope to make an impact on the business by creating a simplified model that can be used in other Wendy’s locations.

According to Jacob Atkin, associate vice president of finance/GRAMA, a student survey showed significant demand for a hamburger joint on campus. This led to talks with Wendy’s and the on-campus location’s eventual opening.

The Pumphreys have been part of the Wendy’s family since 1981 and have been franchise owners since 2007. Their children, Jenny and Brian, both work for Wendy’s.

Kim said that she worked at the first-ever Wendy’s and had the pleasure of serving Dave Thomas, the founder of the restaurant. “To us, it’s a family business,” Kim said. “We bleed Wendy’s red.”

The campus location is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Photos taken by Meghan DeHaas.