Report: Columbus-area burger giant testing ‘dynamic pricing’ model

Update: Wendy’s has followed up reports about its implementation of a “dynamic” price model with a statement that claims the eatery never intended to raise prices of menu items, only adjust menu displays and offer discounts at certain times.

What time of the day are (never-frozen) hamburgers cheapest? We have absolutely no idea, but there’s a chance we find out soon.

According to a Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) report, the Dublin-based burger chain Wendy’s plans to test dynamic pricing, beginning in 2025.

Dynamic pricing is likely best-known for its use in the ride-hailing service Uber, where it was referred to as “surge” pricing, and rides fluctuated in price depending on the time of the day they’re ordered. In Wendy’s adaptation, different menu items could change in price depending on what time of the day they’re ordered.

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“Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings, along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling,” Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner said, according to the NRN report.

Few details of what exactly dynamic pricing for Wendy’s will mean, but the move is part of a larger trend that sees Wendy’s embracing an almost science-fiction level of technology. This includes Wendy’s testing an AI powered drive-thru ordering system, and even a system of underground tubes and autonomous robots to help customers receive food faster.

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