Wendy's launches remake of burger Monday

NEW YORK, New York (AP) - When Wendy’s decided to remake its 42-year-old hamburger, the chain agonized over every detail. The result?

Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy , named after late Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas.

The burger – with extra cheese, a thicker beef patty, a buttered bun and hold the mustard, among other changes - - will be served in restaurants starting Monday, September 19.

“Our food was already good,” said Denny Lynch, a Wendy’s spokesman. “We wanted it to be better. Isn’t that what long-term brands do? They reinvent themselves.”

Wendy’s, based in Dublin, Ohio, is trying to boost lackluster sales and fight growing competition from much bigger rival McDonald’s on one end and expanding fast-casual changes like Five Guys on the other.

Part of the issue is that Americans are being pickier about how they spend their dining-out dollars.

Another issue is that Wendy’s had let its food offerings get stale over the years while its competitors continued to update their menus.

So, what went into remaking the burger?

A pickle chemist was consulted. Customers were quizzed on their lettuce knowledge. And, executives went on a cross-country burger-eating tour.

Executives at the 6,600-restaurant chain spent the past two and a half years going over burger minutiae during an undertaking they call Project Gold Hamburger.

That included deciding whether to switch from white onions on its burgers to red (they did), to change the fat/lean ratio of the mean (they didn’t), or go with plain or crinkled pickles (they picked crinkled.)

In the end, Wendy’s researchers changed everything but the ketchup .

They switched to whole-fat mayonnaise, nixed the mustard, and cut down on the pickles and onions, all to emphasize the flavor of the beef.

They also started storing the cheese at higher temperatures so it would melt better, a change that required federal approval.

“It’s not about getting real exotic,” said Lori Estrada, Wendy’s Senior Vice President of menu innovation and packaging. “It’s about making everything work.”

Wendy's also faces the reality that some customers may not like the new burger -- or its price.

At a time when Americans are cutting back in the down economy, Wendy's says prices for the burgers will probably increase, maybe by 10 or 20 cents, because of the higher-quality ingredients. Franchisees set their own prices, though.

A Wendy's down the road from the Dublin headquarters, which was already selling the new sandwiches last week, was charging $3.49 for the quarter-pound burger, $4.69 for the half-pound, and $5.79 for the three-quarters pound.

For its part, Wendy's is hoping the burger will be one of many successful changes at the chain.

Wendy's, which just got a new CEO last week, wants to expand overseas and on the West Coast, relaunching a breakfast line that's easier for on-the-go eating, and sell more high-margin snacks and beverages.

And early next year, it will introduce new chicken sandwiches. The new undertaking has been code-named Project Gold Chicken.