20 Super Interesting Facts About Wendy’s

• • Wendy’s was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas, a former KFC employee. He named his burger restaurant after his daughter Melinda “Wendy” Thomas.
  • Wendy’s was the first fast-food chain to introduce a value menu. The Super Value Menu debuted in 1989 and offered items for 99 cents.
  • Around 300 million Frostys are sold every year. The Frosty is a frozen dessert that comes in chocolate and vanilla flavors.

• Thomas created the Dave Thomas Foundation to help the adoption of children. He was adopted himself and wanted to help other children find loving homes.
• Wendy’s was the first fast-food restaurant to add a salad bar. The Fresh Salad Bar was introduced in 1979 and featured a variety of ingredients and dressings.
• As of December 31, 2018, Wendy’s was the world’s third-largest hamburger fast-food chain with 6,711 locations, following Burger King and McDonald’s. Wendy’s has restaurants in 30 countries around the world.
• Japan has a foie-gras burger on the menu. The Foie Gras Rossini Burger costs about $16 and is topped with foie gras and truffle sauce.
• There’s vanilla in the chocolate Frosty. The chocolate Frosty is actually a mix of chocolate and vanilla flavors, which gives it a milder taste than pure chocolate.
• The first Wendy’s location was in Columbus, Ohio. Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s on November 15, 1969, on East Broad Street.
• Wendy’s once had iconic training videos. In the 1980s and 1990s, Wendy’s produced catchy songs and videos to teach employees how to make cold drinks, grill burgers, and serve customers.
• Wendy’s was named for Dave Thomas’ daughter. The chain’s founder named the restaurant after her—but apparently, he regretted the decision. Not long before his death, Thomas wrote a blog post saying that the restaurant name “put a lot of pressure” on his daughter.
• Chili was on the original menu. You might think chili was added to the Wendy’s menu years after the burger chain’s founding. But that side dish is just as iconic as the burgers. The original Wendy’s menu featured burgers, fries, chili, and, yes, the Frosty.
• That “hidden message” was an accident. When Wendy’s debuted its new logo in 2013, many people noticed that the illustrated girl’s collar seems to spell out “Mom.” But a Wendy’s spokesperson told HuffPost that it was “unintentional”.
• Dave Thomas didn’t graduate high school. Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, didn’t finish high school the first time around, but he earned his GED at age 61.
• Wendy’s sells 300 million Frosty treats a year. That’s a lot of frozen goodness. In a press release for a limited-time birthday cake Frosty flavor in 2019, Wendy’s shared that it sells more than 300 million Frosty treats every year.
• Wendy’s has a spicy Twitter account. Wendy’s is known for its witty and sometimes savage tweets, often roasting its competitors or trolls. Some of its most viral tweets include asking McDonald’s “where your fresh beef at?” and telling someone to “go kick rocks” when they asked for free nuggets.
• Wendy’s has a breakfast menu. After several attempts at launching breakfast items over the years, Wendy’s finally rolled out a nationwide breakfast menu in March 2020. Some of the offerings include the Breakfast Baconator, Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, and Frosty-ccino.
• Wendy’s has a secret menu. Like many other fast-food chains, Wendy’s has some items that are not on the official menu but can be ordered by customers who know about them. Some of these items include the Barnyard Burger, the Grand Slam, and the Meat Cube.
• Wendy’s has a mobile app. Customers can use the Wendy’s app to order food, pay, earn rewards, and access exclusive deals. The app also has a nutrition calculator and a restaurant locator.
• Wendy’s has a podcast. The podcast is called “Sir, This is a Wendy’s” and features interviews with Wendy’s employees, franchisees, suppliers, and fans. The podcast covers topics such as Wendy’s history, culture, values, and innovations.