MANILA, Philippines - Die-hard Wendy’s fanatics, as well as today’s generation of adventurous foodies, can all look forward to the much-awaited comeback of the Wendy’s Salad Bar in the Philippines—what could be considered as one of the most memorable dining concepts in modern food history. And what better way to usher it back than by letting the people themselves choose what they deserve in the salad bar that they have so greatly missed?
Re-debuting at an affordable price of P199 and piloting in six Metro Manila outlets, the new Salad Bar is proudly the first-ever Wendy’s crowd-sourced salad. This means that Wendy’s Facebook fan page community selected and voted for their favorite salad toppings and dressings to be served at the salad counter.
Now customers can make their very own salad masterpiece from a bounty of “People’s Choice” fresh ingredients laid out for the picking: lettuce greens, cucumber slices, tomatoes, grated carrots, macaroni salad, gelatin (now enhanced with lychee), grated cheese, and additional options like potato salad with bacon bits, hard-boiled egg, and tropical fruits. Wendy’s now also offers three salad dressings—the classic Thousand Island, the all-time favorite Caesar, and the refreshing newcomer, Strawberry Vinaigrette.
Diners are allowed one dine-in trip to the Salad Bar to fill their plate with ingredients, including dressing. Those going for any of Wendy’s Sandwich Combos can avail of a trip to the Salad Bar for only P150.
Wendy’s was the first fast-food chain in the world to roll out a salad bar option in 1979, broadening the offer into a comprehensive dining buffet that featured themed stations almost ten years later. In the Philippines, the salad counter at Wendy’s similarly acquired pop culture cult status in the 1980s and well into the ‘90s, as customers eagerly embraced fresh salad as a complement to the restaurant’s burger and fries fare.
Diners became artists and engineers of their own salad creations—some would pile on ingredients and drizzle dressing rather ingeniously to maximize the space on their plates, while others would combine flavors with extraordinary technique to create the most memorable salad combinations. Everyone, from solo diners to romantic couples, as well as groups of families, officemates, and school barkadas, created many fond memories along Wendy’s Salad Bar counter.
The return of Wendy’s Salad Bar, in addition to the store’s regular salad offerings, is a shout-out of one of the brand’s key messages that going green and eating healthy is a choice at Wendy’s. For health buffs, Wendy’s is the one special, convenient dining place they could go whenever they had a craving to go green and eat fresh, much ahead of when healthy dining came in vogue.
Beyond introducing innovative healthy salad options in a fast-casual setting, Wendy’s has way before been engaging with its diners by offering the opportunity to customize their own plates. So that while the buffet-style, build-your-own dining concept may seem an exciting trend to current foodies, it is hardly really novel for those truly in the know: American burger brand Wendy’s has long pioneered this value-for-money option with its Salad Bar that took the local food and beverage industry by storm decades ago when it was first introduced.
News of the Salad Bar’s rebirth continues to generate massive interest, with people even making their personal countdown and tracking how many more sleeps to go before it reopens. One Facebook commenter posted: “go go go, bring back my favorite salad!”, proof positive that Wendy’s Salad Bar doesn’t offer just any ordinary type of salad, but an amazing experience worth repeating. Or in the words of another Wendy’s Facebook fan: “excited to try it again and again.”
Wendy’s Salad Bar will initially be offered at the following selected outlets: SM Megamall; Greenfields Portal; Glorietta 4 Cinema Level; SM Annex North EDSA; Boni corner EDSA; and SM Centerpoint Sta. Mesa. Food lovers are invited to start building their stunning plate of fresh ingredients today, or they can order any of the other tasty regular salad offerings like Taco, Chicken Caesar, Macaroni, and Garden Mix at the nearest Wendy's branch.
Get in on the action by sharing online your buzzworthy Salad Bar experiences using hashtag #WeDeserveThis. Be there as the brand brings sexy back to those who yearn for the good ol’ salad days, as well as to new customers who feel they deserve something better.
Another classic reinvented: Wendy’s Salad Bar is now open, because you asked for it!