A year after opening its doors in Alice, Wendy's marked the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside the Alice Hub City Chamber of Commerce, celebrating not just another year in business, but its role as a community co rnerstone.The fast-food chain has quickly become more than just a place to grab a meal in Alice it's become part of the community, serving up food and creating jobs for local residents."Wendy's was here in the 80s and then they left town. And it's great that they decided to try Alice again," said Wolf Garza.Garza, an Alice native and chairperson for the Alice Hub City Chamber of Commerce, helped organize the anniversary celebration on Tuesday, Dec. 30th. He hopes residents continue to support the local business."And I hope the residents of Alice appreciate that and come and support locally," Garza said.The restaurant adds variety to Alice's growing food industry, according to Garza."Well, one of our largest growing industries is food. Wendy's brings a different variety of food to the area which is kinda nice," he said.For Garza, he especially loves the 24/7 drive-thru, which he sees as a sign of Alice's growing food industry.Customers like Teo Pea, a Jim Wells County native, said this Wendy's has become a favorite spot."The food. The chili is exceptional. The baconator is my favorite," Pea said.But Pea said it's not just about the food."By coming in and providing jobs for the community, that's the best thing. And in our community we really do need things to help stimulate the economy," he said.Pea said the restaurant's community involvement like promotions that help children's hospitals makes a difference. He hopes everyone supports Wendy's in Alice and its 18 local employees.Victoria Vega, Wendy's marketing director, agrees with that sentiment."Offering jobs to our community - you know - giving back in that way. And just being a staple of employment and also for the brand that we stand for," Vega said.Wendy's officials said they are glad the community has embraced them as they continue serving Alice.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today! ...read more read less