TOKYO, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Wendy's officials said it plans to expand the restaurant overseas, but the $16.50 top shelf burger on sale at a Wendy's in Japan was none of its doing.
Officials at company headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, said they "really don't have anything to do with it," referring to a burger sold with goose liver pate and truffles at a Wendy's in a posh section of Tokyo.
The gourmet burger is part of Wendy's return to Japan, a market it had abandoned two years ago, the newspaper said.
The return is part of Wendy's expansion plans that have a goal of tripling the firm's overseas restaurants, Chief Executive Officer Emil Brolick said.
Wendy's is shooting for 1,000 foreign outlets that could open the door for more creative menus.
Outside the United States, fast-food restaurants are not always part of a fast-paced car culture, said Nick Setyan, a restaurant industry analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc.
"Get-in, get-out," is the norm in the United States, but abroad fast food outlets are often viewed as a place for a sit-down meal, he said.
AUTHOR
upi.com 
WORLD
WORLD
WORLD
