Wendy's approved for Union, but likely will not open until 2012

The Union Board of Directors voted Tuesday in favor of bringing a Wendy’s fast food restaurant to the bottom of the Student Union while still planning for local or organic food options in the future.

The choice was approved with a vote of 8 for, 3 against and 1 abstaining. The facility will not be available before January 2012, Union Director Don Luse said.

Despite some protests against the option, Wendy’s was selected because it fulfilled a number of guiding principles set out by the board, including offering late-night hours, brand name recognition and low prices for customers.

The board worked with Carolina Dining Services to plan for the restaurant.

“We have engaged the services of architects, so in reality, the process has begun,” Luse said. “Knowing what food vendor will be there allows them to continue planning.”

Mike Freeman, director of auxiliary services for UNC, said one of the benefits of a dining location in the Union would be a less crowded Lenoir Dining Hall.

“There was a lot of argument about it being late-night. The value to us is lunch and eliminating the pressure at Lenoir,” Freeman said.

Members of the board who voted in favor of Wendy’s advocated the practicality and potential profit of a well-known corporation on campus.

The vote was met with concerns as to whether student voices had been heard in the decision, as well as concerns about the public health effects and the environmental impact of a fast-food restaurant.

Loren Hart, co-founder of UNC Food Justice Forum, said he felt the board was rushing to make a vote.

“We don’t feel like we have been given the opportunity to be heard,” he said.

Hart and others at the meeting were allowed five minutes each to speak Tuesday night.

Union and Carolina Dining Services administrators supported the choice by pointing to a survey of 10,000 students that showed Wendy’s to be a popular option.

Junior and board member Reva Grace Phillips voted against placing a Wendy’s in the Union.

“Our University’s core principles do not line up with Wendy’s,” Phillips said.

The implementation of a Wendy’s is part of the first phase of renovations of the Student Union. Carolina Dining Services has pledged to provide more sustainable options in the second phase of renovations, including the possibility of a student-run restaurant.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.