Chester welcomes Wendy’s
This view of the new Wendy’s on Carolina Avenue in Chester is the first view commuters see when entering the city from U.S. Route 30 and the Jennings Randolph Bridge. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
This “We (Love) Chester” wall decoration is one of the first signs customers see when entering the new Chester Wendy’s. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
The drive thru was a busy place on a recent afternoon at the new Chester Wendy’s on Carolina Avenue in Chester. The restaurant opened the last Friday of 2023. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
This view of the new Wendy’s on Carolina Avenue in Chester is the first view commuters see when entering the city from U.S. Route 30 and the Jennings Randolph Bridge. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
This “We (Love) Chester” wall decoration is one of the first signs customers see when entering the new Chester Wendy’s. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
The drive thru was a busy place on a recent afternoon at the new Chester Wendy’s on Carolina Avenue in Chester. The restaurant opened the last Friday of 2023. (Photo by Stephanie Ujhelyi)
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CHESTER - Area residents converged on the new Wendy's right before the new year to grab their favorite frosty or baked potato treat upon seeing the restaurant was now open for business.
Tim Thompson, who partners with his brothers Ben and Steve in Primary Aim LLC, said the company is pleased with not only the final product but the pool of potential employees. He confirmed that they opened their doors Dec. 28 and are happy with the results.
On payroll of the store is 37 employees.
"Everyone has the opportunity to turn the part-time job into full-time. We take a lot of pride in the fact that we are providing a lot of young adults a first job as well as supplemental income for others," he continued. "There is a large mix of folks who work for us, and this provides the community a good opportunity."
Primary Aim LLC, which is based in Zanesville, is a franchisee of Wendy's International Inc. and owns 76 locations throughout southern Ohio, northern West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, including Calcutta and Salem in Columbiana County, and Weirton and now Chester in Hancock County. The company also is currently constructing another restaurant in Columbiana, which is very similar and expected to open in a few months, according to Thompson.
Overall, the city of Chester has been what Primary Aim LLC has expected.
"We have been blown away with the quality of individuals we hired and the community in general. City officials have been very accommodating, making this a great experience," Thompson said.
Thompson did acknowledge that the temporary closure of the Jennings Randolph Bridge was an unanticipated snafu that has hindered the business's ability to completely decipher the area's traffic flow; however, they still have been pleased with what they have seen.
Hopefully, when the store offers its grand opening down the road, the Jennings Randolph Bridge, which carries people back and forth along the U.S. Route 39 corridor into Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will be back and open for business as much of the traditional pedestrian and passenger vehicle traffic is finding itself crossing the Wayne Six (aka Newell) Bridge to get back and forth across the Ohio River right now, and that dumps them out several miles down the WV Route 2.