RIP Wendy's Japan

[GuyJean]

I thought it wasn't bad, for McDonalds. I'd even go as far as saying that it didn't even taste McDonaldsy.

Sales, apparently were very good:

It might've been the particular one I had; seemed too salty. Like almost a mistake salty..

I will try the California and New Yorkers though. I like tomatoes on my burgers..

GJ

[Samurai_Jerk]

I got a stiffy....

My arteries are so clogged I can't anymore.

[Greji]

My arteries are so clogged I can't anymore.

SJ, that's okay, if they clog in the "ON" position....

[FG Lurker]

SJ, that's okay, if they clog in the "ON" position....

Only if you want it to turn black and fall off.

(There's a reason for that "4 hour" warning on Viagra et al advertising...)

[Samurai_Jerk]

Only if you want it to turn black

I wouldn't mind being black from the waist down.

[Mulboyne]

Zensho, who made the decision to end their relationship with Wendy's, has just announced consolidated results. Total sales were over 360 billion yen which means they have pipped McDonalds Japan to be the largest restaurant group in the country.

[sublight]

[quote="GuyJean"]It might've been the particular one I had]
I remember the NY burger was pretty good. The mustard sauce was actually spicy.

[Taro Toporific]

Burger King is BACK!
Welcome to Osaki, Burger King
..
via emuu.net/journal/2010.06.17/burger-king-is-inspirational

Burger King has been "back" in Japan since 2007. But is Zombie King is an "inspiration"?...

The company had 10 CEOs in past 17 years and has been owned by:

-- Burger King Corp. was founded in Miami in 1954
-- Acquired by the food conglomerate Pillsbury in 1967
-- Pillsbury was bought by Grand Metropolitan PLC in 1988
-- Grand Metropolitan merged with Guinness to create Diageo in 1997
-- sold to a consortium of private equity investors--Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital, and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners in 2002
--Finally in full-circle Burger King Corp. went public in 2006

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Burger_King
http://www.slate.com/id/2102906/

[Yokohammer]

Burger King is BACK!

I had noticed they were making a quiet comeback. I made semi-regular use of the one near Shin-Yokohama station while it was there.

This is a good thing, because when I feel my arteries getting a bit too clear there's nothing quite like a cheese whopper to plug 'em up again.

[gkanai]

http://investor.bk.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=87140&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=943512&highlight=

[Taro Toporific]

http://investor.bk.com/phoenix
MIAMI & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Burger King Corporation (NYSE:BKC - News) announced today that it has awarded exclusive development rights for Japan to Burger King Japan Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Lotte Co. Ltd. and Revamp Corporation.
The company's first BURGER KING®]...more

DAMN. Lotte Crunky Koreans of Lotteria now run Bugger King Japan. :/

[IkemenTommy]

Burger King is BACK!
Welcome to Osaki, Burger King
..

There was a sign at Roppongi for June 29 opening of Bugger Sling.

[SpikeX]

We got one in Yokosuka last winter. still didn't eat there very much. but, it was nice to have an unhealthy taste of home every once and a while

[Samurai_Jerk]

Burger King's meat is fucking awful. It makes McDonald's taste like a USDA Prime porterhouse.

[American Oyaji]

Burger King's meat is fucking awful. It makes McDonald's taste like a USDA Prime porterhouse.

Is that just in Japan?

Here stateside, I'd have to say the reverse is true. The meat in McD's burgers are pathetic.

I'd rank them

Wnedy's
Burger King
McDonalds.

The only reason I ever go to McDonalds is for the FRIES. I love their fries.

[Greji]

Burger King's meat is fucking awful. It makes McDonald's taste like a USDA Prime porterhouse.

I don't know SJ. Every once-in-awhile, I grab a Double Whopper from the BK at Yokota Air Plane patch and they don't seem that bad. Although the wife does says they might taste different if I unwrapped them before I ate them.

[GomiGirl]

I don't know SJ. Every once-in-awhile, I grab a Double Whopper from the BK at Yokota Air Plane patch and they don't seem that bad. Although the wife does says they might taste different if I unwrapped them before I ate them.

*Snorkle*

That is one way of getting your roughage when eating a fast food burger.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Is that just in Japan?

Here stateside, I'd have to say the reverse is true. The meat in McD's burgers are pathetic.

I'd rank them

Wnedy's
Burger King
McDonalds.

The only reason I ever go to McDonalds is for the FRIES. I love their fries.

It's a Japan thing.

[Doctor Stop]

I remember the NY burger was pretty good. The mustard sauce was actually spicy.

I'd rank the Texas burger above the NY one but both were not bad, for McDonalds.

How many times are they going to redo the Arch Deluxe here without calling it Arch Deluxe?

[Bucky]

Not so fast, Wendy's naysayers.

In hopes of increasing its international presence, Wendy's/Arby's Group has plans to re-enter the Japanese market it left only seven months ago.
"Japan is an important market for us, and we see significant long-term opportunities for growth there as well as throughout the Asia/Pacific region," said Bob Bertini, spokesman for Wendy's/Arby's Group.
Wendy's restaurants had operated in Japan for 30 years when Wendy's/Arby's Group decided late last year not to renew its franchise agreement.
"We ended our development agreement in December, because the franchiser was not meeting our expectations for development growth and reinvesting in the business," Bertini said.
As a result, its 70 restaurants in the country closed.
In the months since, Wendy's/Arby's Group has been devising its re-entry strategy, Bertini said. The chain is now looking for operating partners in Japan. The company is open to considering regional or countrywide development plans.

Wendys shall return

[Mulboyne]

It's interesting that US company says there that it made the decision to end the agreement with Zensho. The press reporting at the time suggested it was Zensho's initiative.

[Doctor Stop]

"We ended our development agreement in December, because the franchiser was not meeting our expectations for development growth and reinvesting in the business," Bertini said.

I read something like that somewhere else around the time Wendy's closed here, but as Mulboyne pointed out, I recall the local press reporting something quite different.

The line about "local cuisine" probably means a teriyaki-mayo burger will be on the menu.

[Mulboyne]

Back later this year.

Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc will re-enter the Japanese market through a partnership with food importer Higa Industries Co Ltd, and the first Wendy's restaurant will open its doors in Tokyo later this year. In December 2009, Wendy's/Arby's allowed the agreement with its former franchisee for Japan to lapse. As a result, it closed 71 Wendy's restaurants and left the country. "Over the next five years, we believe Wendy's has the potential to have a larger presence in Japan than when the brand departed the market at the end of 2009," said a Wendy's/Arby's spokesman, who declined to say how many restaurants the partners would open. Higa will have a 51 percent stake in the partnership, while Wendy's/Arby's will own 49 percent.

Higa President Ernest M. Higa owned and operated 180 Domino's Pizza shops in Japan before selling that business in February 2010. Nikkei, a Japanese news agency, reported that the partners planned to open 70 Wendy's restaurants within five years. The deal is the first joint venture partnership for Wendy's/Arby's, which has said it is considering equity investments in other key markets, such as China and Brazil.

[IkemenTommy]

I didn't really miss Wendeez when it was gone.

Japan still needs Taco Bell and I do not need the smart ass response about "oh you can enjoy it if you go to the US military base" crap because I don't have the time and resource to go all the way to Yokosuka for a fuckin burrito supreme.

[Adhesive]

I didn't really miss Wendeez when it was gone.

Japan still needs Taco Bell and I do not need the smart ass response about "oh you can enjoy it if you go to the US military base" crap because I don't have the time and resource to go all the way to Yokosuka for a fuckin burrito supreme.

I'm not a fan of taco bell, but I'm surprised it's not in Japan. It seems pretty agreeable with their palate; nearly every Japanese person I know who has tried it enjoyed it, and "Mexican" food always seems so expensive in Japan.

[Fullback]

Many, many years ago, there was a Mexican chain in Japan called Taco Taco that was started by a comedian, if I remember correctly.The chain grew pretty big, but something happened (again, I can't remember what the "trouble" was), but after it closed down, it was the butt of many jokes. For a long time, the mention of tacos and Mexican fast food in Japan only elicited laughter.

[matsuki]

[quote="Adhesive"]I'm not a fan of taco bell, but I'm surprised it's not in Japan. It seems pretty agreeable with their palate]

Younger people seem to like it but I brought a group of older businessmen to Taco Bell while in Cali and we had to go somewhere else afterward. Would definitely do good here though.

[Taro Toporific]

Many, many years ago, there was a Mexican chain in Japan called Taco Taco that was started by a comedian...

"Taco Time" --- Kent Gilbert --- fuckqueing LDS.... 'nough said.]Official Mexican Food In Japan Thread
...[/URL]

.. As for Mexican food. Yeah..

Fonda de la Madrugada - good, expensive, far
La Fiesta - ok, limited menu, never been
Junkadelic - ok, authentic, never been
La Jolla - ok, expensive, tasty
Havana Cafe - ok, fusion, 'interesting'
El Torito - ok, chain, bland

[Fullback]

It was a Japanese comedian and it was in the late 70's early 80's. Hmmm...

[Samurai_Jerk]

[quote="Adhesive"]I'm not a fan of taco bell, but I'm surprised it's not in Japan. It seems pretty agreeable with their palate]

They probably can't do it for cheap enough. Cheese, even the fake Taco Bell kind, is too expensive in Japan.

Funny Taco Bell commentary starts at 10:25 :

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