Wendy’s to open in Palmer on Valentine’s Day

PALMER — The void left by Taco Bell’s exit from Glacier View Avenue in Palmer will be filled in 2019. Wendy’s will be opening its first location in Palmer on Valentine’s Day, just in time for lovers to share a signature square burger together.

“I’m itching to sell some burgers,” Erik Sprungman said.

Sprungman manages the Wendy’s stores in Alaska, and said that the process of moving a Wendy’s franchise into Palmer was a long time coming.

“Our customers have been asking for it. We are finally able to deliver on that promise. You can’t imagine how happy we are to finally have a property in Palmer,” Sprungman said.

Sprungman said that the process took nearly a year-and-a-half until they were able to solidify their new location on Glacier View Avenue, where the old Taco Bell was located in the same building as Tesoro.

“We had to wait and wait and he went through a lot of rigmarole to get in there, and finally it pushed through,” Sprungman said.

Sprungman said the design on the interior and exterior of the building will look different than any other Wendy’s franchises in the state, and that the restaurant will have a smaller footprint. Sprungman is excited about the prime location for the fast food franchise.

“Being able to capture a lot of the travelers, we’ll be able to service that community well with that location,” Sprungman said.

Sprungman contracted H Watt and Scott General Contractors out of Anchorage for the work. H Watt and Scott have loads of experience not just in building fast food restaurants, but with Wendy’s in particular. H Watt and Scott have remodeled or built six Wendy’s franchises in the last three years, and Sprungman feels confident working with Tim DeLand, one of the owners of H Watt and Scott.

“They’re very consistent and easy to work with. They we built a relationship with them and they treat it more like a partnership,” Sprungman said.

DeLand is a Valley boy himself, and a fourth generation from great-grandparents who were original Colony kids. DeLand said he is excited about bringing Wendy’s to Palmer.

“A lot of clients are looking at the Valley as a good market. Me in particular, I do have a lot of ties in the Valley,” DeLand said.

H Watt and Scott was also contracted out for the remodel of the Wasilla location, and just finished the McDonalds remodel in Palmer. They worked on the Dairy Queen in Palmer, and also have been contracted to construct Starbucks and Subway locations.

The nuts and bolts of the construction is a lot of reimaging, according to DeLand. The building is a Concrete Masonry Unit structure, and DeLand found no problems with the way the building was put together.

“The construction consisted of essentially demolishing all the existing mechanical and electrical systems in place. We went all the way down to the slab. We’re putting in all new mechanical equipment, all new heating equipment, all new electrical panels, electrical infrastructure and so basically it’s completely new minus the shell,” DeLand said.

The new Wendy’s location will occupy 2,400 square feet of the building they share with Tesoro, and DeLand says that when construction is finished, there will be distinct features that make the facade pop. H Watt and Scott has been around in Anchorage since 1986, but since DeLand was recently named part owner, he hopes to add more of a presence in the Valley.

Contact Frontiersman reporter Tim Rockey at tim.rockey@frontiersman.com.