Roy Hook, Wendy’s Equipment Guru, Retires

Roy Hook, Manager of Equipment Development at The Wendy’s Co. and a pioneer in quick-service cooking equipment engineering and design, has retired after 35 years with the chain. Over his career, Hook worked closely with a broad spectrum of foodservice equipment manufacturers and vendors. He invented the Dublin, Ohio, chain’s current hamburger cooking system and led the roll-out of several of its systemwide implementations.

In addition to serving two terms on the CFSP Board of Governors, Hook is a founding member of the NAFEM Chain Advisory Taskforce, NAFEM Data Protocol Committee and UL Food Industry Advisory Group.

“Roy has had a huge positive influence on the foodservice and foodservice equipment industries,” said FER Publisher Robin Ashton, on hearing of Roy’s retirement plans.  “Not only did he help Wendy’s grow to the dominant chain it is today, his long association with NAFEM’s CAT and help in spearheading the NAFEM Data Protocol, advice to regulatory agencies and the like, have shown a selflessness and expertise matched by few in this industry. He also helped us at FER create our biennial Multiunit Foodservice Equipment Symposium, where he has been a regular attendee for more than a decade.”