Wendy’s first Melbourne drive-thru accidentally revealed at Bayswater North

Wendy’s first Melbourne location finally confirmed

US burger giant Wendy’s has finally been confirmed for Melbourne with its first Victorian drive-thru accidentally revealed last weekend.

The roadside sign at 158 Canterbury Rd, Bayswater North, was unveiled when wild weather tore off its covering, revealing the logos of Wendy’s and Guzman y Gomez.

The pylon confirmed months of speculation about where the US chain would land in Victoria.

Well known for its square beef patties and Frosty desserts, Wendy’s will now anchor alongside a new food and fuel precinct in Melbourne’s east after months of whispers about potential sites.
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Industry experts are tipping the Bayswater North site to open in the final quarter of this year.

The launch will be Wendy’s second Australian outlet after its 2025 debut on the Gold Coast and comes ahead of a CBD Brisbane store now under construction.

Its Melbourne debut is expected to attract enormous queues, echoing the long lines and viral social media buzz that greeted the Surfers Paradise opening.

Melbourne will become Wendy’s first Victorian site. Picture: Glenn Campbell

The American fast food outlet is famous for its Wendy’s square burgers.

The US restaurant is well known for its Frosty desserts.

Colliers Melbourne retail expert Nathan Brown said the choice of location was a deliberate play.

“Canterbury Rd has become a serious congregation of fast food chains,” Mr Brown said.

“Hungry Jack’s and KFC have been entrenched there for years.

“Add in new entrants, and you’ve got a serious cluster capturing outbound traffic heading home.”

Mr Brown said the surrounding precinct was already one of Melbourne’s busiest retail hubs, anchored by Bunnings, Officeworks and Victoria’s largest Spotlight store.

Savills Melbourne director of retail investments Rick Silberman said the Bayswater North launch would generate major fanfare but Wendy’s long-term success would hinge on quality.

Wendy’s has ambitions for 200 Australian outlets by 2034, with multiple Victorian sites already on the radar. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Whenever a global giant like Wendy’s enters the market, there’s excitement,” Mr Silberman said.

“But long-term it comes back to product.

“If the food delivers, the crowds will keep coming.”

Mr Silberman said Melbourne’s quick-service restaurant leasing market was “red hot”, with McDonald’s, Hungry Jack’s and KFC still expanding aggressively while newcomers such as Five Guys, Shake Shack and Popeyes push to establish a foothold.

Fitzroys division director Chris James said landlords were jostling to secure national fast food tenants because they gave precincts instant credibility.

The Bayswater North precinct will also feature a Guzman y Gomez alongside Wendy’s in the new food and fuel hub.

“Developers love fast food chains because a national name on a lease anchors a site and lifts everything around it,” Mr James said.

“Between now and 2030, every growth corridor will be anchored by at least one or two major drive-thru, it’s no longer optional, it’s essential infrastructure.”

Bayswater North is not expected to be the brand’s only Victorian address.

As previously reported by the Herald Sun, Wendy’s is also understood to be circling a tenancy in the soon-to-launch Manor Lakes Park Hub, a $200m large-format precinct rising beside Manor Lakes Central in Melbourne’s outer west.

Construction is under way on Wendy’s new Brisbane CBD store, following its Surfers Paradise debut on the Gold Coast.

Construction at Manor Lakes began late last year, with Bunnings already taking shape and Petstock confirmed as a tenant.

Developer Ranfurlie Asset Management has flagged advanced talks with national and international brands, while Wendy’s remains the most hotly tipped contender.

The Bunnings at Manor Lakes Park Hub is scheduled to open in late 2025.

Backed by Flynn Restaurant Group — the world’s largest restaurant franchisee and owner of Pizza Hut Australia — Wendy’s has ambitions for 200 outlets nationwide by 2034.

When asked about their future opening plans, a spokesperson for Flynn ANZ told the Herald Sun Wendy’s Brisbane flagship store will be the next to open later this year.

“Wendy’s has committed to opening 200 restaurants across Australia in the next decade,” a spokesperson said.

“The next wave of openings following Brisbane is confirmed for 2026, with restaurants planned across Australia.

“This expansion builds on the overwhelming success of Wendy’s Gold Coast debut earlier this year, which attracted strong consumer demand and national media attention.”