While some morning dishes, like the Egg McMuffin, have cult followings, most fast food restaurants ignore breakfast.
MCD's 25% breakfast sales in the U.S. are among the highest in the industry, whereas Yum! Brands (YUM)-owned Taco Bell typically serves only a few morning dishes.
Wendy's has stood out in the three years following the pandemic. After expanding its breakfast menu to include French Toast Sticks in 2021, Wendy's saw breakfast sales rise from 8.5% to over 10% in a few months. The chain continues to invest heavily in breakfast.
The new Breakfast Burrito, available at Wendy's nationwide starting Jan. 22, combines two scrambled eggs, six strips of applewood-smoked bacon, seasoned potatoes, two slices of American cheese, and Swiss cheese sauce in a flour tortilla.
The 720-calorie monster will cost $3.29 at Wendy's nationwide (prices may vary depending on local egg prices.) Each burrito will come with two packets of Cholula Original Hot Sauce to honor its Tex-Mex roots.
"With our new Breakfast Burrito, we've carefully balanced taste and convenience to create a portable masterpiece," said Wendy's Global Vice President of Culinary Innovation John Li.
Unlike many LTOs in recent years, Wendy's new breakfast item is a permanent addition to the breakfast menu, alongside the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Croissant and the Breakfast Baconator .
Industry insiders also believe the item will be a riff on Taco Bell's morning burritos or McDonald's Sausage Burrito. Even though they account for a modest fraction of chain sales, both breakfast products have a decades-long fan base.