Wendy's Offers a Free Jr. Frosty With Drive-Thru Orders Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Wendy's is hoping to give customers a much needed boost of happiness amid the coronavirus [...]

By Allison Schonter

Wendy's is hoping to give customers a much needed boost of happiness amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the beloved fast food chain announced that it will be handing out free Jr. Frosty's, your choice of chocolate or vanilla, to every drive-thru order for a limited time.

As concern over the coronavirus pandemic continue to heighten, the beloved fast food chain has implemented a number of measures to keep both its employees and customers safe, also joining in on the efforts to help flatten the curve. In a March 16 press release, CEO and President Todd Penegor revealed that Wendy's would be closing its dining room services and instead move solely to carryout or pickup, drive-thru, and delivery.

"As a Company, we will adopt these practices in our owned operations and strongly urge our franchise locations to do the same, which many are already doing," Pregnor said. "We also recognize that governments in some locations are requiring more strict measures, and as a System, we will of course adhere to those restrictions as well. We will continue to evaluate the landscape, understanding it's changing rapidly, and will adapt as needed."

In a later update issued on March 22, Pregnor announced that Wendy's would be suspending carryout service.

"At Wendy's, the health, safety and well-being of our teams and customers has always been our top priority," he announced. "And after thoughtful conversations with our franchisees, my senior leadership team and other advisors, we believe the best way we can serve our communities is to focus on delivery and drive-thru services in our restaurants throughout the United States and Canada and close dining rooms for carryout service, except in limited circumstances. We are making similar adjustments to our operations in other International markets as well."

Wendy's is currently just one of many restaurants and fast food chains to adjust their service options amid the coronavirus outbreak. With a number of states and cities across the country ordering the closure of all non-essential businesses and limiting the number of people allowed at gatherings, many restaurants have shuttered their dining rooms and switched to drive-thru, carryout, and delivery services.

As on Thursday morning, confirmed cases in the United States had surpassed 69,000, according to a Johns Hopkins database, with more than 1,000 deaths. Globally, there have been more than 485,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 22,000 deaths.

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