A fast-food or quick-service restaurant is only as good as the companies that supply the company. Suppliers that provide ingredients for the various food items on the menu to those who supply services and provisions such as paper and packaging that quick-service restaurants (QSRs) use day to day are all crucial to operations at any of these restaurants. With so many partners involved in the fast-food supply chain, it’s no surprise to see QSRs holding their suppliers and vendors accountable for their business practices and codes of conduct.
The Wendy’s Co. introduced its Code of Conduct for Suppliers in 2016. According to the company, “Wendy’s expects suppliers to use best practices in all aspects of their operations and to conduct business in a way that is consistent with the values of Wendy’s and our franchisees, and the strong ethical principles established by our founder, Dave Thomas.”
The code is centered around five categories – food safety and food ingredients, farm animal health and well-being, human rights and labor practices, environmentally sustainable business practices and business ethics and integrity. Suppliers that wish to work with Wendy’s must adhere to these strict standards, and each year, the suppliers are expected to reaffirm their compliance with the code.
“The Wendy’s Supplier Code of Conduct embraces the best practices of our supply chain, codifies our high-standards in being a socially responsible company and, importantly, encourages our suppliers to continually improve their social and environmental impact,” explains BryAnn Roth, manager of CSR & brand communications for Wendy’s. “The code takes many of the expectations Wendy’s has long held for our suppliers and brings them together in one place. It allows us to further engage on responsible sourcing with our trusted suppliers and provides an added measure of confidence for stakeholders.”
In March, the company added approximately 100 additional suppliers to its list, including all US and Canadian contracts managed by Quality Supply Chain Cooperative’s (QSCC) Codes of Business Conduct and Ethics.
“At Wendy’s, we are committed to setting clear goals in the areas of social responsibility and communicating our progress against these goals,” said Liliana Esposito, chief communications officer for Wendy’s. “We will continue to promote and encourage our suppliers and partners to employ responsible business practices and work to bring greater transparency so that consumers can continue to trust Wendy’s and the values upon which this company was built.”
