Carolyn Fath
The Wendy’s on the 500 block of State Street served its last Frosty in April. It marks the end of the exodus of classic fast food chains from downtown Madison.
McDonald’s once had two locations downtown. One on the Square at 20 W. Mifflin St. (now the site of The Coopers Tavern) has been closed since 2004. In 2006, the McDonald’s at 411 N. Lake St. became a post office. Arby’s and Burger King locations once near Library Mall have long been forgotten.
The original downtown Wendy’s — now a Starbucks — operated on the 600 block of State Street from the late 1970s through the 1990s. After the “Where’s the Beef” chain re-opened at 534 State, it lasted three years.
Mitch Quade, an associate with NAI MLG Commercial, which manages the property, says the space is ideal for a new restaurant since it’s equipped with walk-in refrigerators, commercial vent hoods and bathrooms. But he doesn’t suspect another fast food restaurant will move in.
“Fast food seems to have gone out of vogue on State Street,” says Quade. “A lot of [fast food restaurants] get a high sales volume from drive-throughs. They tell us they just can’t make the numbers work without one.”
It wasn’t always so. The first level of 534 State has long been home to a classic fast food restaurant. It began in the mid-1980s, when the thoroughfare’s last residential house was torn down there to make way for a Hardee’s.The storefront architecture still reflects the distinct, bunker-like architecture of the original restaurant.
Taco Bell took over the space in the early 1990s and lasted until 2012 (it was technically a Taco Bell/KFC combo restaurant for the last few years).
A new tenant to replace Wendy’s isn’t finalized yet. But Quade suspects it will be a fast casual restaurant in the vein of Chipotle, Five Guys and Qdoba (all of which currently have locations on State Street).
Susan Schmitz, president of Downtown Madison Inc., attributes Wendy’s closure, in part, to more options for late-night dining downtown.
“It’s an overall trend we are seeing. This is happening in a lot of other cities that are urbanizing and attracting more young professionals into their downtowns,” Schmitz says.“In the late 1990s, it was pretty much dark and dead on much of State Street after 9 p.m. It’s not anymore.”
During its heyday, the Taco Bell was notorious for being overwhelmed with customers around bar time. It was routinely packed to capacity with UW students, late-night revelers and people who had nowhere else to go. Two security guards stood at the ready in case a riot broke out over a lack of salsa packets.
But there was a gritty charm about it all. Taco Bell regulars in the mid-2000s remember the zen-like presence of popular cashier Heather Croullo, who seemed to relish the anarchy around her. It was an honor to have your picture added to her wall of favorite customers.
Schmitz sees the residents of downtown’s new high-rises, a more affluent group of young professionals, driving the market now — and they don’t want Big Macs, Whoppers and $2 meal deals.
“People moving downtown just aren’t interested in that type of food anymore. They aren’t eating it,” says Schmitz. “They have gotten used to better, higher quality food and don’t mind paying for it.”
