Wendy's says its first Greater Manchester restaurant, a drive-thru on Cross Street in Sale, is due to open this month. No exact opening date has been announced yet.

The American burger chain is converting part of the former TGI Fridays building, which has stood empty since TGI Fridays closed the Sale restaurant in October 2024, according to Life in Sale. The Manchester Evening News reported on 28 October that work is under way on the 3,400 sq ft site.

A Wendy's spokesperson said the Sale restaurant will bring 45 jobs to the area. "We're excited to bring Wendy's to Sale and are currently planning to open our new restaurant next month," the spokesperson said in late October. "We can't wait to welcome the local community and serve up Wendy's favourites soon."

The menu includes breakfast sandwiches, burgers, wraps and chicken pieces, alongside fries and jacket potatoes.

Trafford Council granted planning permission on 18 June 2026 to change the use of the building from a restaurant to a drive-thru restaurant, with a drive-thru lane, landscaping and changes to the outside of the building. Planning documents reported by the MEN say the drive-thru lane takes up part of the car park, leaving 38 spaces instead of 62, which Wendy's said would be sufficient. Wendy's will only occupy part of the building, and the rest is available for a future tenant.

A second site in Wigan

The MEN also reported that work has started on a second Wendy's, behind the Omniplex cinema at Robin Park in Wigan, which is expected to open in the first half of 2027.

Until now the nearest Wendy's restaurants to Manchester have been on the Wirral and in Blackpool, where a branch opened last year on the Promenade near Blackpool Tower. According to the MEN, Wendy's has 48 restaurants in the UK and has previously announced plans for 400. The chain opened its first UK restaurant in Reading in June 2021.

Sources: Manchester Evening News, 28 October 2026; Life in Sale, 16 October 2026; Trafford Council planning application 118058/FUL/25 (via PlanIndex); Wendy's UK. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.