Wendy’s is where food is made fresh—never frozen. But no matter how fresh your kitchen’s ingredients may be, its equipment must be working properly in order to really deliver that brand promise.
Wendy’s franchisees partner with 86 Repairs to ensure that can happen. We handle the repair and maintenance (R&M) process from end to end for common kitchen equipment so staff can keep their focus on customers.
Part of that process includes basic troubleshooting. Before spending the time and money on vendor dispatch, we walk staff through simple solutions to common issues. It helps reduce downtime—and the number of unnecessary invoices for R&M.
We spoke to Wendy’s franchise owners and operators to understand which equipment gives them the most issues. From our conversations, we’ve identified troubleshooting tips for Frosty machines, lemonade bubblers, and grills that can help your business avoid extra repair expenses.
These are general tips. Wendy’s teams should always defer to the troubleshooting steps and advice found in the user manuals for the specific make and model of units found in their kitchens. And remember: when in doubt, an internal tech or authorized external vendor will be able to help.
Frostys are an iconic dessert—and the only place they’re found is Wendy’s. So when the Frosty machine is on the fritz, it’s extremely important to get it back up and running so customers can get the cold treat they crave.
There could be a few reasons why the Frosty machine won’t dispense its delicious treat:
Before troubleshooting, be sure your unit is in “Auto” mode and the draw valve is open. If Frostys still won’t dispense,
If those troubleshooting steps don’t work, the machine could have a freeze in the mix inlet hole, or the beater could be rotating in the wrong direction. Call an authorized technician to take a closer look.
Frostys have a very specific look and feel—thicker than a milkshake, but not solid soft-serve.
If the Frosty consistency is too stiff,
If the Frosty consistency is too soft,
If the unit is leaking into the drive shaft drip pan,
If the unit is peaking from the door spout,
Fruit puree, juice, and the water added to balance out the recipe need to be agitated to avoid one flavor coming through the machine too strongly. Enter: the bubbler. These machines keep liquid mixtures—like Wendy’s lemonades—constantly moving so the recipe is always right.
If the bubbler is being a bother, try these troubleshooting tips.
Lemonade mixture not getting cold? There are a few things to check:
Is the compressor running? If not, you’ll need to call a technician right away.
But if the compressor is running,
Let’s try to give the lack of mixing a quick fixin’:
If the unit won’t spray, but the motor is running, check the impeller.
If there’s no spray and the motor is not running, you’ll need to call a vendor.
There are two common places where a bubbler can leak: from the bowl and from the valve.
There are two common culprits for this issue, too: fan blades and bearings.
You can’t serve famous square burgers if they aren’t cooked correctly. When the heat is on to get a grill fixed fast, try these ideas.
Note: We’ve heard from Wendy’s operators that their grills may be much more complicated than what these standard troubleshooting tips may suggest. For Wendy’s grills, it’s even more important to follow manufacturer troubleshooting instructions to a T.
Verify that the hood system is working.
Check to see if the grill is correctly connected to a power source.
If an electric grill is plugged in and not turning on, there could be a problem with the electrical current and not the unit itself.
This is likely a pilot light or cleaning issue.
Call a vendor to investigate further if troubleshooting doesn’t give your grill heat or power.
Is the grill getting cleaned regularly? Built-up grease and residue can cause uneven heating, potential flare-ups, and other grill issues.
Make regular grill cleaning a habit, including the burners, ignition, grates, and drip trays! Correct and consistent maintenance like this can prevent many common grill issues.
R&M taking too much of your team’s time? We can help. Wendy’s franchisees get 24/7 on-demand support from real people with restaurant experience so owners and operators can have peace of mind that repairs are getting done—and managers get fewer frantic calls when they’re off the clock.
We don’t just help frontline staff, though. We support internal technicians, too! Every service request and ticket is stored in one convenient place so they get complete visibility into the status of every repair across every location while they’re dealing with bigger priorities.
Click the “Learn More” button at the top of the page to see how our solution can support your growing business.