Wendy's baked potatoes are a huge part of the chain's business. So why haven't any other fast-food restaurants started selling them?
Wendy’s Baked Potato Sets the Chain Apart—Here’s What to Know About It
When you go to a fast-food burger chain, the one side dish you can absolutely count on is fries. But for all the chopped and fried taters in fast-food restaurants, one side is conspicuously missing from all but one. Enter the Wendy’s baked potato.
Wendy’s baked potatoes might be even more famous than the chain’s fries. Customers load tubers up with chili, broccoli and cheese, sour cream and chives, and more. The “side” can get hefty enough to count as a meal of its own. You don’t even need a Wendy’s Frosty or the iconic square burger. Each potato is about 11.5 ounces—before adding toppings.
And here’s a fun food fact: Wendy’s sells a whopping 1 million baked potatoes every week, making it a pretty major revenue builder for the company. So why haven’t more chains gotten on board? Read on to find out.
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When did Wendy’s start selling baked potatoes?
Wendy’s opened in 1969, but the popular side didn’t hit the menu until 1983.
In 1985, Wendy’s added a reduced-calorie menu that also included a tuna-stuffed tomato and a cottage cheese and pineapple salad—seemingly perfect for health-conscious folks. And yet neither of these items lasted into today. (Can you really blame the public for not hopping on the tuna-tomato trend?) Wendy’s baked potato, however, is still holding strong.
Why did Wendy’s start selling baked potatoes?
First of all, let’s go back to why Wendy’s started selling spuds in the first place. In the ’80s and ’90s, low-fat diets were all the rage, and there was a definite appeal to replace oil-drenched fries with a fat-free potato. Low-carb diets rose and fell, but the modest baked potato kept standing.
We now know that not all fat is bad, but baked potatoes remain a relatively virtuous choice compared to other fried fast-food options. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a medium-sized baked potato has 161 calories, 4.3 grams of protein, 3.8 grams of fiber and no fat to speak of. Ordering one with broccoli can add some green to your plate too!
And even when you load a Wendy’s baked potato with cheese and bacon bits, the meal-worthy spud contains only 420 calories with 17 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber. That’s less than the 470 calories in a large order of fries, which has just 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
Why don’t other fast-food restaurants serve baked potatoes?
As health-conscious customers have pushed fast-food chains to serve more nutritious choices—most have side salads and apple slices—you’d think a plain baked potato would be a no-brainer. But for chains emphasizing the “fast” in “fast-food,” it’s not that simple.
“If you’ve ever cooked baked potatoes at home, you know it takes a while,” Lori Estrada, Wendy’s former vice president of culinary innovation, told Thrillist. “And we cook them from a raw state, in an oven, wrapped in foil, baked for an hour, just like you would at home.”
Naturally, the cooking itself would take a lot of planning. But there’s also the matter of equipment. Fast-food restaurants don’t typically have convection ovens, like the ones Wendy’s uses for its famous baked potatoes. Adding one in every location would be a major expense, and most chains just aren’t willing to make the move—especially if Wendy’s already has its grip on the fast-food potato market.
A few chains have tried to make the jump. Carl Jr. used to sell baked potatoes, as did Burger King during its early-’90s attempt to create a classier environment with table-service Dinner Baskets. Canadian Arby’s and select U.S. locations have them on the menu, as does the Mid-Atlantic chain Roy Rogers.
Unless anyone else decides to push for potatoes, though—especially if you’re in another part of the country—you’ll have to head to Wendy’s for your fast-food non-fry fix.
Does Wendy’s have baked potatoes at all locations?
Yes, Wendy’s still offers this side item at all of its restaurants. If the one in your area runs out before you can grab a hot serving of Wendy’s baked potatoes, you’ve got the delicious taste to blame.
What kind of baked potatoes does Wendy’s sell?
In the United States, the Wendy’s menu currently lists five different baked potato options. These are:
- Plain
- Sour cream and chive
- Cheese
- Bacon cheese
- Chili and cheese
Canadian Wendy’s have fewer options (alas, no chili or plain cheese), but they do have poutine, which we consider a win. You also won’t find baked potatoes on the menu in Mexico, but you can still order loaded fries—and who has ever said no to those?
What is Wendy’s baked potato’s price?
Here are the current prices for Wendy’s baked potatoes:
- Plain baked potato: $2.79
- Sour cream and chive: $2.99
- Bacon cheese: $4.69
- Chili cheese: $4.69
- Plain cheese: $3.49
Additional reporting by Emma Taubenfeld.
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Sources:
- Wendy’s: “The Wendy’s Story”
- United States Department of Agriculture: “Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, without salt”
- Thrillist: “Why Wendy’s Is the Only Chain That Serves Baked Potatoes”
- Eater: “Carl’s Jr., and the Thing That Happened There”
- Wendy’s: “Menu items – Baked Potato”
- YouTube: “Burger King Dinner Baskets Ad from 1992”
