July 19, 2021

Wendy’s has arrived on the east side.

The restaurant opens at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Dawley Farm Village.

“It’s going to be great,” said Marti Martino, division leader for Mountain West Wendy’s.

The Sioux Falls locations became part of a new franchise group, which has 26 locations in seven states, in 2019.

The new owners said their first move was to put a focus on operations at the Sioux Falls stores, helping with behind-the-scenes work to improve the customer experience.

The Dawley Wendy’s is the first new location for the restaurant in Sioux Falls in years, Martino said.

“We don’t have a building like this anywhere near. This is a first open in 10-plus years, so all the new equipment is fun. We have a new grill that’s different and all kinds of things that are new,” she said.

While the restaurant will open at 10 a.m. Tuesday, going forward the hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with the dining room closing at 8 p.m.

It’s the newest Wendy’s layout, which includes two lanes to place orders outside and four kiosks inside, “which is the way of the future,” Martino said. “It allows us to have the same number of employees but all making food, and it’s great for customers because four people can be placing orders at the same time, so you don’t have to wait in line as long.”

There will be team members to help customers use the kiosks, she said.

The hours at Dawley Farms will include Wendy’s breakfast menu, which debuted in 2020 and includes breakfast sandwiches with variations of egg, bacon and sausage, a honey-butter chicken biscuit, sides such as potatoes and fruit, and a Frosty-ccino coffee drink.

“We have a great product, and it’s just getting the word out,” Martino said “I encourage people to give it a go.”

The location also is continuing to hire, starting at age 16, with pay beginning at $13 for those with no experience and escalating for those with industry experience.

“We always have positions,” Martino said. “We’re looking for management all the way to crew.”

“We’ve had great interaction with customers through the drive-thru waiting for it to open, so they’re excited for a new option in this area, and we are too,” she said. “This area is growing quite a bit. We know we’re going to have neighbors here soon, and there’s just a lot of growth in this year.”

The franchise group also is looking at potential new locations and renovations, she added.

“We’re a different franchise, and we have plans for bigger and better things,” she said. “It’s a booming economy, and we’re doing well.”