American fast food chain Wendy’s is officially making its Victorian debut, with the brand’s first restaurant in the state set to open in Dandenong South this June.
The new venue will open on Wednesday 24 June at 1A Assembly Drive, bringing Wendy’s signature menu of burgers, chicken tenders, loaded fries and Frosty desserts to Melbourne for the first time. The Dandenong South location is the site of a former Carl’s Junior outlet, which closed down when the chain went into administration in 2024.
The Dandenong South restaurant will introduce a new style of drive through experience for Wendy’s Australia, with the company describing it as a fresh approach designed around faster service and a more personal connection with customers.
Alongside the drive through, the restaurant will include indoor seating for up to 74 guests, creating a space for customers to enjoy their meals beyond the traditional takeaway format.
Wendy’s says the new design places crew members directly in the drive through lanes, allowing them to greet customers, take orders on handheld tablets and confirm selections on screen to improve accuracy.
The Victorian opening follows the brand’s recent arrival in Queensland, where its first Gold Coast restaurant achieved the strongest opening week sales performance in Wendy’s history globally. Ahead of the Melbourne launch, the brand also took over AC/DC Lane for a one day pop up event, giving away free burgers to locals.
Wendy’s ANZ chief marketing officer Corina Black said the brand is aiming to rethink the typical drive through experience.
“The category has spent decades training customers to shout into a speaker box and hope someone gets the order right,” Corina Black, chief marketing officer, Wendy’s ANZ, said.
“Wendy’s is doing things differently. We’re putting customers back at the centre of the experience from the moment they arrive. It’s a more human approach to service, designed to feel more personal, more accurate, and more welcoming.”
The new restaurant will operate from 9am to 11pm Sunday to Thursday and 9am to midnight Friday and Saturday.
