One of the delicious facts about Wendy’s you should know is their affinity for relevancy. They consistently push the envelope. In a recent publicity stunt, they broadcasted a stream on Twitch, playing the ever popular game “Fortnite.” While the stream didn’t garner much attention, the aftermath did, resulting in video clips and buzz. That’s right, the only way to sell younglings hamburgers these days is through video games.
Through their long history, Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, innovated with drive-thru windows, simple, and cheap menus, and a host of other things no other fast food chain would touch. Often, the strategy paid off. They earned a reputation for quality food, low prices, and staying ahead of the curve. They also introduce limited-time food, like the recent Bacon Maple Chicken sandwich. Today, they hopped on board the delivery craze sweeping the U.S., allowing customers to order their food through the DoorDash smartphone app.
All that aside, Wendy’s isn’t perfect. Their menu is mostly overloaded, high-calorie junk food, full of salt, fat, and carbs. With massive hamburgers like “Dave’s Triple” and “Baconator” adding up to a thousand calories, it’s not exactly health food. Of course, that is all par for the course in the fast food industry.
Of the many fast food chains, however, Wendy’s has done one of the best jobs wooing millennials. Their snarky social media accounts, adoption of the newest technology, and revamping older stores to include bigger televisions and cozier hang outs have, by and large, won over the young folk. Plus, no one can deny the power of the Frosty.
There’s much more to Wendy’s than you might not realize, and frankly, it’s time to study up. So, get ready to devour some delicious Facts About Wendy’s You Should Know.
Founder Dave Thomas opened the very first Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio, on November 15, 1969.
Source: https://www.wendys.com/wendys-story The restaurant saw explosive success over the next ten years, opening 2,000 restaurants, some of which are in Canada and Mexico.
Source: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Wendy%27s Speaking of Canada, if you have a chance to eat at one of Wendy's Canadian restaurants, you'll see poutine on the menu.
Source: https://menu.wendys.com/en_CA/product/poutine/ By 1979, Wendy's introduced the first salad bar in a fast food restaurant.
Source: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Wendy%27s Their first slogan, "Quality is our Recipe," is still used today and is one of their core values.
Source: http://wendys.ge/en/about/our-company Of course, they've had several slogans over the years, including the ever popular, "Where's the beef?" Since 2016, their slogan has been "Deliciously Different."
Source: https://advergize.com/advertising/10-wendys-slogans-today-years/ Dave Thomas was once a big part of their advertising campaigns, included in over 800 commercials.
Source: https://www.wendys.com/wendys-story He named the restaurant after his daughter, Melinda Lou. Her siblings struggled with her name, calling her "Wenda" instead. Wendy became her nickname and a star was born.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/business/dave-thomas-69-wendy-s-founder-dies.html Before opening Wendy's, Thomas was hired to turn a few Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants around. He did, of course, and used the profits as seed money to Wendy's.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31072/wendys-founder-dave-thomas-worked-colonel-sanders The Frosty has been the company's brain-freezing treat since it first opened. At the time, it cost 35 cents.
Source: https://www.wideopeneats.com/10-things-didnt-know-wendys/ Today, the Frosty is still wildly popular. Wendy's roughly sells 300 million Frosty's a year.
Source: https://www.rd.com/food/fun/wendys-frosty-facts/ Some of Wendy's early ads are interesting to say the least. An early commercial involves an animated Wendy surrounded by three anthropomorphic singing and dancing hamburgers.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXOi7OcykFQ Inspired by an old-fashioned hamburger joint in Kalamazoo, Michigan, called Kewpee Burger, Wendy's prepares their hamburgers in the same way, as a square.
Source: https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/things-you-didnt-know-about-wendys-gallery/slide-3 A high school dropout at age 15, Dave Thomas later regretted it and worried his success would convince other teens to dropout, too. So, in 1993, he obtained his GED from Coconut Creek High School.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/why-dave-thomas-quietly-went-back-to-school-after-his-wendys-success They were one of the first fast food restaurants to adopt the modern drive-thru window.
Source: https://www.history.com/news/fries-with-that-a-brief-history-of-drive-thru-dining The menu in Japan has food that might surprise you, including Mature Hakata Mentaiko and the Foie Gras Burger.
Source: http://wendys-firstkitchen.co.jp/ The chocolate Frosty isn't exactly all-chocolate. Thomas didn't want to overwhelm customers with too much chocolate, so he mixed chocolate and vanilla together in the Frosty machine.
Source: https://www.rd.com/food/fun/wendys-frosty-facts/ Pizza might have been on the menu. At one time, they considered merging with Papa John's before the popular pizzeria owner fell to scandal after using the N-word. Of course, after that, merger talks halted.
Source: https://nypost.com/2018/07/18/papa-johns-wendys-reportedly-talked-merger-before-john-schnatters-n-word-scandal/ They're social media savvy, active on Twitter with over two million followers, and have been known for taking on trolls with clever clap-back tweets.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wendys-shows-how-to-handle-a-beef-with-twitter-troll/ They took a big chance back in the '80s and pioneered the value menu, a permanent menu priced down to 99 cents.
Source: https://www.qsrweb.com/articles/the-evolution-of-the-value-menu/ They have a huge heart for adoption. Partnering with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Wendy's also provides an adoption-friendly workplace, like time off and financial assistance for each adopted child.
Source: https://www.wendys.com/adoption, https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/ Thomas, himself, was adopted when he was six-weeks old. Despite having a mostly negative experience with it, he supported adoption with a heavy zeal.
Source: https://people.com/archive/dave-thomas-vol-40-no-5/ In 2008, Arby's bought Wendy's for a cool $2.34 billion dollars. They had rejected two former offers before finally agreeing to a buy out. The Thomas family reportedly was devastated by it.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/IndustryInfo/story?id=4717253&page=1 Their current logo made headlines for a possible "hidden meaning" in it. Many thought the message read, "Mom" on Wendy's collar. The company came out saying the message was unintentional.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/07/wendys-says-secret-message-in-logo-unintentional/ Did you know other companies have hidden messages in their logos? It’s true! You need to check out 25 Cleverly Hidden Images In Logos You Probably Didn’t Notice
The first Wendy's that opened in Columbus, Ohio, closed its doors in 2007 due to no drive-thru and poor parking.
Source: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2007-03-03-wendys-goodbye_N.htm Lists Going Viral Right Now
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