Wendy’s is one of America’s most beloved fast food chains. In the 1980s, Wendy’s restaurants adopted an iconic architectural design that set them apart from competitors: The glass sunroom (also known as a solarium).
Gen Xers and Millennials grew up enjoying Wendy’s meals in these sun-filled rooms. (Check out this nostalgic list of old-school Wendy’s locations to see if one with a sunroom still exists near you.)
The Wendy’s glass sunroom served more purposes than aesthetics. Researcher Phil Edwards uncovered these purposes and the reasons why Wendy’s eventually did away with glass sunrooms.
5 reasons Wendy’s added glass sunrooms
Reason No. 1: They offered extra space.
Glass sunrooms offered Wendy’s restaurants and their customers more space.
Edwards referenced a 1984 article featuring Dick Cash, a Wendy’s restaurant manager, who explained one reason he thought Wendy’s franchisees started adding the solariums.
They offered “ten more tables, with a seating capacity of 28 additional people,” explained Cash. Although practical, the solariums weren’t cheap to construct. Edwards shared a 1985 permit application he found, which revealed it cost $42,000 to add on a solarium. A different permit showed a cost of $38,000.
Reason No. 2: They helped make Wendy’s more “upscale.”
When Wendy’s started adding glass sunrooms, it also debuted extended late-night hours, larger salad bars, and stuffed baked potatoes. “This was Wendy’s attempt to go a little more upscale,” Edwards said.
Reason No. 3: They were part of a plant trend.
“This also glommed on to a bigger trend called the fern bar…in places like TGI Friday’s or Chili’s, where there were just a lot of plants hanging around, and it tied into that Victorian vibe that Wendy’s also had with its logo,” said Edwards.
Edwards explained that since the Wendy’s tables were laminated with faux newspapers, the plants in the restaurants “made sense.” He added, “But you needed sun to come in to make sure that the plants were OK.”
Reason No. 4: They drew in customers.
Edwards cites a 1985 article in The New York Times in which Denny Lynch, Wendy’s vice president of communications, explained more about the plants. Wendy’s put 700 solariums into 3,000 of its locations. Why? “People who want to eat want to see other people eating. If there’s no one there, the food must be bad. And when you’re eating, you want to look out. It increases the comfort level. You also have the opportunity to hang plants and create an upscale atmosphere.”
Reason No. 5: They created more light.
Lynch also explained that the solariums offered extra nighttime illumination.
“You can put lamps inside and not affect the variance codes of the community, as you do with outdoor lights. Those indoor lamps show up just great at night,” he explained.
Why Wendy’s began to eliminate solariums
Today, the Wendy’s restaurants that still have solariums are few and far between. Edwards says their decline comes down to speculation about cost and maintenance, as well as a restaurant rebrand.
Architect Ray Caliendo told MEL Magazine, “They’re an energy problem. Most of those sunrooms were built before modern-day energy codes—they’re very inefficient. They increase the heat load tremendously during the summer, and in the winter, they’re pretty cold.” Additionally, from 2011 to 2012, Wendy’s underwent an “Image Activation Program,” which resulted in a major remodeling effort.
For many, the solariums may be gone, but they still occupy a special place in their heart, and their belly.
