Four local Wendy’s restaurants—including two in Gloucester County—are under new ownership.

Ed Anderson of Newport News, chief executive officer and president of WEN-GAP, LLC, the new franchise owner, said his family now operates Wendy’s franchises at Gloucester, Hayes, Yorktown and Grafton. WEN-GAP is derived from the words Wendy’s (the WEN) and GAP (God Answers Prayers), because his family was able to become franchise owners of the local stores in a move designed to keep the family in-state instead of taking over a number of Wendy’s in Georgia.

Ed’s wife, Judy, is vice president of marketing, while one of their sons, Eddie, who lives at home, is an operating partner. Their two other sons, Jeff and Joey, own a transportation service in Richmond and reside in that area.

The local restaurants each are a full-line Wendy’s, Ed Anderson said, and feature an assortment of hamburgers, specialty chicken sandwiches, chili, salads, dairy desserts and more. The Hampton Roads region, including his restaurants, is a test market for the chain, Anderson said, and some new products, such as a mozzarella chicken sandwich being featured now, were tested locally.

To view this article in its entirety, subscribe here. Already an online subscriber? Login Here