In 2025, chain restaurants saw major trends like the popularity of chicken tenders, hot honey flavor, appetizer combos as main dishes, nostalgia marketing, and value meal deals, while trends like trendy flavors such as Dubai chocolate and certain limited-time offerings may decline in 2026.
Wendy's has launched its new chicken tenders, called 'Wendy's Tendys,' featuring 100% white meat and a variety of six bold sauces, as part of its menu expansion to compete in the chicken tenders market, alongside other recent fast food chicken offerings. The chain also introduced new Kids' Meals and promotional coupons supporting the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Wendy's has introduced new crispy Chicken Tenders nationwide, accompanied by six new bold dipping sauces, available in various serving options including kids' meals, with some locations rebranding as 'Tendy's' to celebrate the launch.