The beginning of a journey – on November 15, 1969, Dave Thomas opened his very first Wendy’s restaurant in Columbus, Ohio at 257 East Broad Street. In no time, the quick-service chain became known for its square beef patties, made from fresh beef, and iconic Frosty^® desserts.

Wendy’s introduced the first modern drive through to the world; what Dave Thomas coined the “Pick-Up Window”. This innovation was so revolutionary that customers needed instructions on how to talk through the speaker to place an order. Originally called the “drive-in window,” Dave wanted to change the name from something that could attract cruisers and joyriders.

Lights, camera, action! Wendy’s took its advertising to the small screen, making a name as the first quick-service chain with less than 1,000 restaurants to launch a national advertising campaign.

The 1,000^th Wendy’s restaurant opened in Springfield, Tennessee and broke records for being the company’s 1,000^th restaurant in just 100 months.

Among all the fresh beef, Wendy’s added the salad bar to its menu to diversify the options for those who wanted to go green with their meals. Wendy’s salad bar was a hit in the 70’s and 80’s, but as Wendy’s restaurants became more operationally efficient and customers desired more portable salad offerings, salad bars were phased out in 2006.

1980 marked the milestone of 2,000 Wendy’s restaurants…and counting.

Clara Peller became an overnight sensation when she inspected a fluffy hamburger bun that lacked in the beef department and exclaimed, “Where’s the Beef?”. The tagline became so popular that the advertisement led to a 31% boost in Wendy’s annual revenue, and even sparked a merchandise line for fans.

The French Quarter in New Orleans was the location of this milestone – the 3,000th restaurant. You can guess by now that there’s more to come.

Dave Thomas starred in his first commercial in 1989, and quickly became a nationwide household name. After the first national campaign, Dave went on to appear in more than 800 commercials through the years. 

Wendy’s was the first to introduce the concept of a Super Value Menu and it took off with nine items available for 99¢ every day. The menu offerings rotated based on what customers were craving.

Wendy’s nutrition policy was expanding, and so was the menu. The grilled chicken sandwich made its first appearance in 1990 as a lighter, lower calorie offering for customers seeking a non-fried chicken protein option.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush asked Dave Thomas to serve as spokesperson for the national adoption initiative, “Adoption Works…For Everyone.” Wendy’s embraced adoption as its national charitable cause, and in the years since has committed millions of dollars to raise awareness for children in foster care and foster care adoption.

Salad on the run, anyone? Born from Wendy’s successful and iconic salad bar, Wendy’s turned customers’ attention to new, fresh-made salads they could get to-go: Grilled Chicken, Taco Caesar, Deluxe Garden, and Side Salads were the first salad offerings featured.

Our founder, Dave Thomas, was adopted as a child, and created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA) because he believed every child deserves a permanent, loving home. The DTFA is the only public, non-profit charity in the United States that is focused only on foster care adoption.

To benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Wendy’s hosted the 3Tour Challenge – An annual golf tournament that continued through 2013, raising more than 11.6 million in net proceeds in over two decades. The 3Tour Challenge was the only professional golf tournament that professionals from the PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tour went head-to-head for the 3Tour title.

The 4,000th Wendy’s opened in Bentonville, Arkansas, and was one of 250 Wendy’s restaurants opened in 1992.

Wendy’s celebrated its milestone 25th birthday with the best present ever – all-time record systemwide sales of $4.2 billion in 1994.

In 1993, Dave Thomas received his high school equivalency certificate and shared with 2,500 graduating seniors that he felt his biggest mistake was not finishing high school. Created to honor those who value education, and in partnership with the Heisman Trophy Trust^®, Wendy’s established the Wendy’s High School Heisman program to celebrate high-school senior athletes who went above and beyond in learning, performing, and leading on and off the field. Twenty-five years and hundreds of thousands of exceptional high school scholar-athletes later, the program honored its final class of students in December 2018.

Would you like a side of donuts with your hamburger? In December 1995, Wendy’s completed its acquisition of Tim Hortons, a Canadian restaurant chain that features coffee and fresh baked goods.

In 1995, Wendy’s was the first major fast food restaurant chain to introduce a spicy chicken sandwich to its menu. Fans loved the spicy kick of the chicken complimented by mayo, lettuce, tomato and a toasted bun so much, it was announced that it would be offered as a full-time menu option in 1996.

The 5,000th Wendy’s restaurant opened in Columbus, Ohio as a Wendy’s/Tim Hortons combination unit.

The U.S. Postal Service released a stamp to celebrate the joys of adoption, to raise awareness about the cause, and to thank those who had opened their homes to adopt children in foster care. Wendy’s founder, Dave Thomas, was a participant in the official stamp dedication ceremony.

In 2001, Wendy’s established an auditing program to monitor, verify and evaluate proper animal handling among our U.S. and Canadian suppliers. This effort was based on extensive research conducted by experts in animal behavior science.

Wendy’s took another step towards international growth when it opened the 6,000th restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The two-story restaurant was built to hold 224 customers.

At the age of 69, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas passed away. Dave developed a passion for the quick service restaurant industry at a young age and devoted much of his life to growing the Wendy’s business and supporting foster care adoption.

Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) is the signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The DTFA awards grants to adoption agencies to hire adoption professionals, who work every day to make “unadoptable” unacceptable. Since 2004, more than 8,000 children have been placed in loving homes through WWK.

Wendy’s completed its initial public offering of Tim Hortons in March 2006, and later completed its spin-off of the Canadian restaurant chain as a separate public company in September 2006. 

Trans Fat went out of style in the North American restaurants when Wendy’s switched to a nonhydrogenated cooking oil – with zero grams of trans fat – for French fries and breaded chicken.

In 2007, Wendy’s stacked two fresh beef patties and paired it with American cheese, SIX slices of Applewood smoked bacon, and a soft bun. The iconic Baconator – the best way to eat a double bacon cheeseburger – was introduced for those Wendy’s customers who wanted even more craveable burger options.

A side of curly fries with your Baconator? In 2008, Wendy’s consolidated with Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. to form Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Inc. and was headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2010, Wendy’s made giving back even sweeter when it announced that Frosty lovers could purchase a Frosty Key Tag and receive a free Jr. Frosty with any purchase for an entire year. Since 2010, the Frosty Key Tag campaign has raised more than $27 million to benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption^®.

Wendy's proudly recognizes employees and all they do to make a positive impact in their communities through its Community Ambassador Grant Program. Each year, ten Wendy’s employees are rewarded for their commitment to volunteerism with a $2,500 grant to go to a community organization where they dedicate their time. Of the ten chosen, one is honored as Wendy’s Ambassador of the Year and granted an additional $10,000 for their organization.

Wendy’s raised the bar on greens once again when its salad lineup was refreshed in 2010 with Apple Pecan Chicken, BLT Cobb, Spicy Chicken Caesar, and Baja. Apple Pecan is still featured on the Fresh-Made Salads menu today.

After devoting more than two years to creating its best cheeseburger line yet, Wendy’s released Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburgers. Named after its founder, this quarter pound, fresh, square beef patty was accompanied by a buttered and toasted bun, in addition to fresh toppings. A hotter and juicier product that made mouths water – Dave would be proud.

The small but mighty Son of Baconator was launched in 2012 to give Baconator fans a chance to go big or go small. The Son of Baconator has four pieces of bacon and smaller fresh beef patties, but it’s anything but “junior”.

Wendy’s leaped into the hands of consumers with the launch of its mobile app. Originally designed to provide food nutrition and restaurant location information, the app has evolved over the years to accommodate convenient mobile ordering, payment and delivery to meet the demands of today’s on-the-go consumers.

Wendy’s restaurants received a makeover as it kicked off a global transformation, referred to as Image Activation, to contemporize the brand and improve all touchpoints of the customer experience. Bold new restaurant designs, product innovation, and engaging advertising and digital media were a few changes that customers began to see.

The Thomas Building and Conference Center (TCC) was constructed in 2012 on the campus of the Wendy’s Restaurant Support Center in Dublin, Ohio. The TCC was awarded the LEED Silver certification in Spring 2013 for designing and constructing a building to sustainable standards including energy efficient lighting and HVAC.

On your mark, get set, go! In 2013, Wendy’s introduced the Frosty 5K Run for Adoption, an event to raise funds and awareness for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. So far, this event has raised more than $360,000. All participants receive a Frosty at the finish line – it’s a win-win.

As part of the brand transformation, Wendy’s upgraded the face of the brand and unveiled a new and contemporary logo to keep up with the rest of its evolving brand image. This was the first major logo change in 30 years.

In 2013, Wendy’s combined pretzel, bacon, and cheeseburger, ultimately creating one of the most popular Wendy’s limited time offers! So popular, in fact, the cheeseburger made a temporary return to the menu in 2014. Social media buzz confirmed that the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger and Wendy’s fans had a bit of a love affair going on, so Wendy’s turned those online comments into love songs. The Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger Love Songs were such a hit, they went on to win a Cannes Lions Award.

Yahoo! Finance named Wendy’s as its chain restaurant Stock of the Year due to menu creativity, Image Activation initiatives, and rewards by shareholders.

Wendy’s opened its flagship restaurant near the Dublin, Ohio headquarters on December 17, 2013. The flagship featured the new image activated design and a community room showcasing Dave Thomas and Wendy’s memorabilia in homage to the Company’s history.

Wendy’s recognized the importance of inspiring creativity in young minds when the Company made the switch from licensed toy products in Wendy’s Kids’ Meals to more fun, interactive activities. The Creative Play Platform served to encourage children to think outside the box and use the Kids’ Meal games for more than just a one-time car toy.

In 2015, meal deals at Wendy’s were changed forever when the 4 for $4 was introduced. A combo meal deal that allows hungry customers to have a hamburger, four-piece chicken nuggets, small fries and a small drink…all for only $4. The 4 for $4 later expanded to include a larger variety of value menu options.

In 2016, Wendy’s announced its participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge. Among the first restaurants to join the Challenge, Wendy’s committed to reducing energy consumption in U.S. company-operated restaurants by 20 percent per transaction by 2025.

In 2016, Wendy’s broadened communications with customers when it introduced its external blog, The Square Deal. Since its launch, the blog shares company views on food, quality, culture, sustainability and support for foster care adoption.

The top 200 General Managers in the Wendy’s family were recognized at the Dublin, Ohio headquarters. The individuals honored make up the top 3% of the Wendy’s system around the world, and are valued team members who excel in leadership, performance, and dedication to the Wendy’s brand.

Fans got a taste of nostalgia when Wendy’s brought a classic back to its menu. The Taco Salad returned just as it was in the 90’s, topped with the Wendy’s signature chili, hand-diced tomatoes and shredded cheddar that made it a hit in the first place. The tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa come on the side and allow customers to load it up as they please.

Wendy’s isn’t chicken when it comes to improving chicken quality. In February 2017, Wendy’s made a $30 million investment to enhance the quality of the chicken it serves. The Company switched up cooking procedures and made a move to use smaller birds, so customers can enjoy more of what they love with some seriously fresh, juicy chicken that has a new and improved taste.

Ordering your favorite Wendy’s staples just became easier. Wendy’s announced its plans to add easy-to-use, self-order kiosks to enhance the customer experience and the convenience of ordering in the restaurant.

In 2017, Carter Wilkerson broke the internet with one simple tweet – “Yo @Wendy’s how many retweets for a year of chicken nuggets?” While he didn’t reach the Wendy’s requested retweet amount of 18 million, Carter quickly bypassed the Twitter record of most retweeted tweet on the internet and was rewarded with his year’s supply of chicken nuggets. It didn’t stop there – Carter appeared on The Ellen Show, donated $100,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption^®, and Nuggs for Carter won the Best Influencer Campaign title from the PRWeek Global Awards and a Cannes Silver Lion Award.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption turned 25 and celebrated their milestones along the way – in 25 years, they co-founded National Adoption Day, introduced their signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids^®, and helped find thousands of permanent, loving homes for children in foster care.

The International Franchise Association recognized The Wendy’s Company as a Gold Winner of the Enduring Impact Award for the charitable work done for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and the impact that the work has on children in foster care across the nation.

Wendy’s is a family, and family takes care of each other. Wendy’s launched the WeCare Fund in 2017 to provide financial assistance to employees who qualify for short-term assistance due to federally and state-declared natural disasters.

The Wendy’s Family continued to grow around the world as the company opened its 500th international restaurant in Guatemala City, Guatemala. In 2017 and 2018, Wendy’s welcomed nearly 100 net new international restaurants and made great strides in development plans to Delight Every Customer on an international level.

In 2018, Wendy’s dropped the hottest mixtape of the year. Featuring smash hits like “Twitter Fingers” and “Rest in Grease”, We Beefin’ showed everyone else who’s the boss of the beef. The creative mixtape went on to win many awards including a Cannes Gold Lion.

Wendy’s took its next step in its commitment to quality when it was announced that all Wendy’s tomatoes will be sourced from indoor greenhouse farms. The innovative change further strengthens the Company’s commitment to responsible sourcing practices by providing safer, indoor working conditions, shelter from the elements and environmental contaminants, reduced water and land use burdens, and a significantly reduced need for chemical pesticides. It also brings superior quality and flavor to the red wheel that tops the classic Wendy’s hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and salads.  

Since its founding in 1992, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has been Wendy’s charity of choice. Through various programs supported by the Company, franchise organizations, suppliers, and customers, Wendy’s has raised more than $200 million for the Foundation and its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program.

To be a better and more sustainable, environmentally conscious brand, Wendy’s launched Squarely Sustainable, a four-pronged approach to sustainability. With this approach, Wendy’s aims to: use less materials to minimize waste, use better and seek certified sustainable materials where possible, spark action by identifying consumer-facing actions that can drive change, and engage partners to work with others to find solutions to important issues.

Wendy’s introduced Made to Crave Hamburgers: a new line within Wendy’s core menu that unlocks a fresh world of hamburgers packed with craveable, mind blowing, unforgettable flavors. Later that year, Wendy’s introduced Made to Crave Chicken: a permanent excuse to continue experimenting with the latest trends to bring new and exciting flavors to chicken sandwich lovers.

Wendy’s created a digital ‘Wendy’ to hit the multiplayer battle royale videogame “Fortnite.” This character ignored all the other players, usually the main targets, and went for freezers instead. Making a statement that Wendy’s uses fresh beef, the Company received the Social & Influencer Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Every November, the Wendy’s Family comes together to celebrate and honor our founder, Dave Thomas, and the founding of the first Wendy’s restaurant in 1969. The 2019 celebration was more special than ever as we celebrated 50 years of our beloved and iconic brand.

In March of 2020, Wendy's launched breakfast nationally across the US. With the tag line “You Up for This?™” Wendy’s created hype all over America for the iconic brand to enter the #breakfastwars and be the breakfast that eats other breakfasts for breakfast.

Wendy’s Rewards^™ is fantastically simple: you get rewarded for something you’re already doing, ordering Wendy’s^®. We designed this program in partnership with our fans and we made sure it hit all the right notes. All you need to do create a My Wendy’s^™ account to start earning points. Then, those points add up to great rewards!

Over time and in partnership with Wendy’s, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption^® has leveraged the resources, the energy, and the expertise to reach a significant milestone ― 10,000 children are now with a safe, loving, and permanent family through the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids^® program!

Wendy’s returned to the United Kingdom on June 2 in Reading, approximately 50 miles west of London. The restaurant opened at noon local time for lunch, and excited fans started forming a queue outside in the early morning hours (around 4:00 am!). Fun opening day fact: the most popular menu item sold was the Baconator®!

Wendy’s took a stand against cold and soggy fry disappointment from industry competitors with the introduction of a new Hot & Crispy Fry Guarantee. The reinvented Hot & Crispy Fries are made with real potatoes for improved heat protection and crispiness, and perfect for dipping in your favorite sauce or a Frosty®.

We initially brought the fresh beef to our Canadian neighbors in 1975, when we opened our first restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario. On November 15, 2021, Wendy’s opened the 400th restaurant in the country (on Carling Ave. in Ottawa, to be exact). This milestone marked a period of significant growth in Canada in recent years and signaled a bright future!

On November 16, 2021, Wendy’s opened its 1,000th international restaurant, located in Croydon, south of London in the United Kingdom. It marked an exciting time to be a part of Wendy's and we were proud to achieve this significant growth milestone with the help of our franchise partners, dedicated restaurant crew, support center team and supplier partners around the globe.

Wendy’s opened its 7,000^th restaurant in Dacula, Georgia! This restaurant features the Smart design with a Y-lane that offers Wendy’s fans of Dacula an easy and quick drive-thru experience. 

Where’s the bacon? Wendy’s launched breakfast in Canada nationwide, headlined by a signature coffee blend made specifically for Canadian customers, and menu items that pay homage to Wendy’s fan favourites like the Breakfast Baconator and Frosty-ccino.