Out with the old: New fast-food restaurant coming to University Drive location in State College
State College will soon be getting a different “fully renovated” fast-food restaurant in place of the former Burger King on University Drive.
Wendy’s, the fast-food giant known for its Frosty Treats and square hamburgers, is already working to open a new location at 521 University Drive, near the Penn State campus. It will replace the old Burger King, which closed down in June 2020 after the pandemic hastened its timetable to leave the site.
Barring any complications, the new Wendy’s anticipates opening around mid-May, according to Nick Cugine, director of operations for CKA Management, the franchise owner of the Wendy’s.
“We have one current location in State College already, and we’ve identified this market as a high potential for growth for Wendy’s,” Cugine said, adding his company does not own the location in Bellefonte. “We think the State College area, particularly the university, is just a fantastic location with high foot traffic.”
Cugine said the restaurant is undergoing a full renovation, which was confirmed by the local code administration. The new Wendy’s also does not plan to construct a drive-through due to space constraints, although Cugine anticipated a lot of mobile orders and kiosk usage.
Tentative plans include hours of operation that start at 7 a.m. and likely extend until least midnight, potentially as late as 2 a.m. when school is in session. About 20-25 employees are expected to be hired, per Cugine, with about 15 as full time.
Once open, it will become Centre County’s third Wendy’s. The other two include the locations at 1610 N. Atherton St. (State College) and 135 Buckaroo Lane (Bellefonte), the latter of which opened in September 2019.
Cugine hinted at the possibility of opening more locations locally in the future, explaining the company also expanded in Albany, New York, when it identified that market as having a high potential for growth. But no other plans are yet in the making, and Cugine emphasized that remained only a possibility at this early point.
