Wendy's fans are buzzing about this new product headed for grocery stores — not the drive-thru

New York Post

06-06-2025

It seems backyard Baconators could be in the works for Wendy's fans across the country this summer.
Fans of the fast food chain are taking to social media after a delicious double-smoked development at their local supermarkets — the brand's beloved bacon has hit the retail market.
A sharp-eyed aficionado reportedly first spotted the extra-thick-cut pork product at a Kroger supermarket in Kentucky — marketed as a 'restaurant-inspired' version of the tasty burger topper.
Instagram foodies @remi4allthesnackgod and @markie_devo appear to have been the first to break the news to the general public — with additional reports quickly following.
'Time to make [baconators] at home!' wrote popular food news account @snackbetch.
'What next? Frosty?!' another fan commented hopefully.
While many fans took to the comment section of the original Instagram post with glee, others were more skeptical.
'If it's overpriced like their chili in a can I won't be buying it,' one user commented. 'There's no difference between the regular bacon and 'Wendy's' bacon… [it's a] marketing ploy,' another complained.
Bacon is a signature element of countless beloved Wendy's menu items.
Kroger
Shoppers are seeing more and more fast food items hitting retail shelves.
AP
The bacon is available at select Kroger and King Soopers locations, Parade reported.
News of the fast food chain's latest supermarket release follows other recent forays into the grocery store world — including Wendy's signature fresh, never frozen (but now refrigerated) beef hamburger patties and the aforementioned canned chili.
And Wendy's isn't the only fast food chain expanding their reach from the drive-thru to the aisles.
Competitors like Arby's and White Castle also offer retail versions of some of their most popular restaurant products.
Some social media users speculate that this push from Wendy's is an effort to keep up with rivals McDonald's and Burger King, especially amid declining sales and total revenue at the home of the square patty, which dropped over 1% from the past year.
Despite this, Wendy's still holds the title for the cheapest fast food burger, as reported by Food Republic, so perhaps this sudden retail activity is a sign the chain is still alive and well.
'Looking ahead, we remain focused on these strategic priorities which will position Wendy's to win in the market and drive long-term growth across our global system of restaurants,' said Kirk Tanner, Wendy's President and Chief Executive Officer, after the close of Q1 in early 2025.
Tanner maintained a positive outlook for the company, despite dips in sales growth, and also said that 68 new restaurants were added across the globe this year.
Regardless of what the future holds for the company, fans are still excited to run to their local grocery stores and grab the ingredients to grill up their own backyard Baconators.