Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's, once advised Col. Harland Sanders and helped him build the KFC brand before selling his shares back to the Colonel and starting his own chain.
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Wendy's menu was simple when it first opened in 1969, with only five items including hamburgers, fries, chili, soft drinks, and their signature Frosty dessert.
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Wendy's sells around 300 million Frostys per year, a testament to the enduring popularity of the dessert.
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Wendy's salad bar was a hit in the 80s, but was phased out in the early 2000s in favor of pre-assembled salads.
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Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, dropped out of high school at 15 but later earned his GED at age 61 and was worth an estimated $4.2 billion at the time of his death in 2002.
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Wendy’s has the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which matches children in foster care with loving families, an especially important cause to Thomas because he was adopted as an infant and never knew his birth parents.
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Wendy's logo in 2012 unintentionally appeared to spell the word "mom" in the collar, but Dave Thomas was actually raised by his grandmother.
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Wendy's Twitter account is known for its savage wit and roasting skills, with 4 million followers.
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Wendy's original catchphrase, coined by Dave Thomas, "Quality is our recipe," is still used today in commercials, on packaging, and on their buildings.
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Wendy's Japanese locations have offered unique items like foie gras burgers, avocado and wasabi burgers, chicken sandwiches with truffle and porcini mushroom sauce, and lobster and caviar sandwiches.
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