Wendy's to serve Folgers coffee in breakfast push

CHICAGO, May 18 (Reuters) - Wendy's International Inc. (WEN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said on Friday that it would serve custom Folgers Gourmet Selections coffee in its restaurants as it tries to attract more customers with breakfast offerings.

The move comes after larger rivals McDonald's Corp. (MCD.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Burger King Holdings Inc. (BKC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) upgraded their coffee offerings.

Wendy's said that it would be the only major quick service restaurant chain to offer a proprietary blend of Folgers Gourmet Selections coffee, which is made by Procter & Gamble Co. (PG.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's plans to expand breakfast to 20 percent to 30 percent of its North American restaurants by the end of 2007.

In February, Chief Executive Kerrii Anderson said that the No. 3 U.S. hamburger chain had already introduced a breakfast menu in about 160 of its 5,950 U.S. outlets.

The Wendy's Custom Bean coffee will be sold all day in locations serving breakfast and other selected restaurants will offer the coffee over time, Wendy's said.

((Reporting by Jessica Wohl; Reuters Messaging: jessica.wohl.reuters.com@reuters.net; +312-408-8132; e-mail: jessica.wohl@reuters.com; editing by Deborah Cohen)) Keywords: WENDYS FOLGERS/

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