DUBLIN, Ohio – The Wendy's Company signed a long-term agreement with The Eljuri Group to open 20 Wendy's restaurants in Ecuador, the company announced March 19. Eljuri expect to open the first two restaurants in Guayaquil, a coastal city with 2.3 million residents.

Eljuri's agreement with Wendy's marks its first entry into the quick-service restaurant segment.

"With proven success across a wide range of businesses, The Eljuri Group has a strong quality orientation and considerable resources to successfully launch and build Wendy's brand presence in Ecuador," said Darrell van Ligten, president, International, The Wendy's Company. "This is an important step in our continued momentum in the Latin America and Caribbean region, where we have a growing presence of franchise restaurants in 17 countries and US territories."

The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 franchise and company owned restaurants. Eljuri is comprised of more than 160 companies in varied industries, including real estate and hotel foodservice.
"We are passionate about the Wendy's business, values and prospects for success in Ecuador," said Juan Doumet, chairman of the Board of Directors, for Wendy's Ecuador and a member of The Eljuri Group. "As a Wendy's franchisee, we look forward to making Wendy's a leading option for consumers based on excellent quality, service, value and location."