Wendy’s returns to Italy with plans for 170 franchised restaurants

Wendy’s is preparing to return to Italy after an absence of around 30 years. The first restaurant is scheduled to open on 19 November 2026 at the Euroma2 shopping centre in Rome. Behind the venture is Your Food, a holding company led by Mario Resca. The project will be delivered through Iconic Burger, which holds the master franchise agreement for the Italian market, with a target of 170 restaurants by 2035.

From Rome to Milan: the first stages of the return

The American chain, known for its square burgers, has already identified two locations for its Italian launch. After Rome, a standalone restaurant near Milan’s Duomo cathedral is planned for early 2027. The first two sites will therefore establish a presence both in a shopping centre and in the heart of a major city.

According to BeBeez, reporting on 3 November and citing ItaliaOggi, the programme includes just under ten openings in total during 2027. This is the first stage of a much longer development plan running to 2035.

It is important to distinguish the schedule for the first openings from the ultimate target: the 170 restaurants represent the development programme’s goal, not an existing network. Likewise, 19 November is the announced date for the Rome opening, while the Milan launch is planned for early the following year.

For those following Italy’s franchise market, the news is therefore about an international brand returning through a national development agreement, with an initial sequence of openings already outlined.

Your Food and Iconic Burger’s role

Your Food brings together Italian investors and entrepreneurs active in finance, property, food service and other services. The holding company is led by Mario Resca, president of the Italian trade association Confimprese and former chairman and chief executive of McDonald’s Italy.

The project’s structure distinguishes the holding company from the business responsible for developing the brand. Your Food operates through companies dedicated to individual brands. For Wendy’s, the operating company is Iconic Burger, a wholly owned subsidiary of the holding company, which holds the Italian master franchise agreement.

The exclusive agreement with Wendy’s was announced in mid-July. It gives Your Food responsibility for developing 170 restaurants by 2035 and provides the framework for the chain’s return to the Italian market.

This corporate distinction is important when interpreting the announcement: Iconic Burger holds the master franchise rights, while Your Food is the holding company that owns it and backs the project. The national plan should therefore be understood within this structure, rather than as a collection of separate local ventures.

Italy’s targets within the international programme

The opening programme also comes with an employment forecast. According to information released when the agreement was announced, the Italian programme could create around 5,000 jobs. This figure represents potential employment linked to delivery of the plan, not jobs already created.

The return to Italy forms part of Wendy’s international strategy, which aims to reach 2,000 restaurants outside the United States by 2028. The chain also expects overseas markets to account for around 70% of net growth in its restaurant network.

These targets have different deadlines: 2028 applies to the overall presence outside the United States, while 2035 is the timeframe for the Italian programme. Keeping them separate helps put the announcement into perspective without conflating the global and national schedules.

Rome and Milan will be the first locations to watch as the project gets under way. Further openings planned for 2027 will then provide a benchmark for comparing early delivery with the announced development plan.

What prospective investors should assess

For those considering franchise opportunities, a master franchise agreement and an opening target do not automatically mean that franchises are being offered to individual entrepreneurs. Assessing any potential involvement therefore requires a separate enquiry beyond reviewing the national plan.

Before making any commitments, prospective investors should check directly with the company responsible for the project about participation arrangements, investment requirements, site criteria and operational responsibilities. The number of planned restaurants alone is not enough to assess the financial viability of an individual outlet.

Practical guidance: follow the Rome launch and subsequent Milan opening, always distinguishing between completed openings, development targets and the terms of any potential franchise opportunity.