Wendy's, like most chain restaurants, have adopted the model of seeking out the cheapest ingredients possible while slowly raising prices through the roof.
You're paying a premium for very low quality food.
McDonald's took such a beating in the public eye for this since the turn of the century that they actually took steps to improve.
I stopped at Wendy's last year to use the bathroom. I decided to order some nuggets that had the consistency of foam rubber.
They're going to try to get away with this until they get called out for it.