Arby's Buys Wendy's for 2.34 Billion; Triarc Square Roast Beef?

It was announced Thursday that Triarc owned Arby's fast food chain bought Wendy's fast food chain in a 2.34 billion dollar stock deal. Dave Thomas (deceased 2002) started Wendy's in 1969 and named it after his youngest daughter 'Melinda Lou' who was nicknamed Wendy. The Thomas daughters Pam Thomas Farber and Wendy are both upset by the sale, claiming that "It's a very sad day for Wendy's and our family" according to the Associated Press.

An interesting line in the lengthy Associated Press article reads: Triarc said it will also change its name to include the Wendy's name. Does this mean that Arby's and Wendy's will be sharing a new name? I've sat here playing with trying to combine the name a little bit and their really isn't any way to combine these two old favorite names together unless Arby's would like to become Ardy's.

I am always personally against large corporations merging so that smaller businesses can not compete with the one or two giant firms that land on the top. Back in my youth when Arby's Roast Beef and McDonalds were just getting started, we still had opportunity in this country to experience all kinds of variety in cooking from Mom & Pop roadside food stands. Today, it is the same ol' cookie cutter chain food or nothing in many locations.

If we examine the main items between Arby's menu: Roast Beef Sandwiches and Melts, Chicken, Market Fresh Sandwiches, Salads, and Subs. And, Wendy's menu main items: Hamburgers, Fish, Stuffed Potatoes, and Salads. The only things that both stores have in common is Salads. At corporate headquarters, they'll not be able to reduce costs by ordering both of the store food supplies in larger quantities to save money.

In our present economy situation, we can almost expect that some of us will be having to feed our gasoline tanks before spending extra money on fast food, and that fast food sales may decline a bit until our raising food and energy costs stabelize. If this is the case, and the fast food industry is forced to cut costs by reducing menu selections, what is going to vanish from the menu in this new Arby's-Wendy's alignment?

Another interesting thing to think about is that in many towns, Arby's and Wendy's buildings are next-door to eachother. When they are owned by the same people, that is only one group of people dictating what the full town service area will eat. Without competition in pricing, prices can go up unchecked.

I am going to have to side with Pam and Wendy on this one. It is very sad that Arby's has purchased Wendy's; the customers probably just lost out on this deal.