The Wendy’s fast food chain opened its first new location in Station Road, Reading, back in June 2021.
People flocked from throughout the country to taste its burgers, sides and desserts.
The chain has since spread to 43 other locations in England.
Now, the operators of the Reading restaurant want to keep it open until 4am on Friday and Saturday nights, and midnight throughout the week, competing with other late-night food spots such as McDonald’s, which is open until 2.45am, and Zorba’s kebabs, which closes at 4am each night.
The operators submitted the later hours bid in a licensing application to Reading Borough Council.
Burger chain in Reading town centre could keep on serving customers until 4am
Wendy’s is open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Thursday, 7am to 2am Fridays and Saturdays and 8am to 11pm on Sundays.
The application to stay open until 4am has faced opposition from David Acreman of the council’s environmental protection team, who expressed fears that the later hours will disturb neighbours living in residential properties and hotel guests.
The objection is based on the four licensing objectives, which are to prevent crime and disorder, to uphold public safety, prevent nuisance and protect children from harm.
Mr Acreman’s representation states: “Environmental Protection wish to object to the above application for an extension of the hours permitted for late night refreshment, in order to uphold the licensing objective of the prevention of public nuisance.
“Given the proximity of premises to residential properties, noise from both the extract ventilation system and customers using the premises in the early hours of the morning are likely to cause nuisance.”
This representation was the sole objection to the application during a consultation period that ended on Thursday, April 17.
The later hours application will be decided at a meeting of the licensing applications sub-committee on Thursday, May 15.
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The Wendy’s operators, the council’s licensing team and Thames Valley Police have agreed on conditions if the application is approved.
One of these conditions is that Wendy’s have a minimum of two security staff on Friday and Saturday nights working from 10pm until closing.
Also, a condition states that the licensable activities can only take place if the operators also get planning permission to stay open until 4am as well.
Wendy’s has planning permission to be open from 6.30am to 2am Thursday to Saturday under application reference PL/23/0993, which was approved in November 2023.