Wendy's

Wendy's was born in Columbus, Ohio, on November 15, 1969, when founder Dave Thomas opened the first restaurant. Thomas, a veteran of the fast-food industry who had worked for Kentucky Fried Chicken, wanted to create a place that served fresh, made-to-order burgers. The chain quickly became known for its square hamburger patties, which Thomas insisted on because they hung over the edges of the round bun, emphasizing the meat. Wendy's headquarters moved to nearby Dublin, Ohio, in 2006. The company merged with Triarc, the parent company of Arby's, on September 29, 2008, creating a powerful restaurant group. As of late 2018, Wendy's ranked as the third-largest hamburger fast-food chain globally, trailing only McDonald's and Burger King. By November 2023, the chain had grown to 7,166 outlets worldwide, with 415 company-owned and 6,751 franchised locations. The vast majority, 83%, are in the United States.

Wendy's sets the standards for its stores, but franchisees control hours, decor, and staff uniforms. The menu centers on hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and French fries, with signature items like the Frosty, a soft-serve ice cream blended with starches. The company has discontinued some offerings over the years, such as the Big Classic sandwich, but continues to innovate with limited-time specials and new product lines. In 2020, Wendy's launched a national U.S. breakfast menu. The brand's tone is playful and slightly irreverent, often poking fun at competitors in its marketing. A notable campaign included creating a digital Wendy character in the video game Fortnite that targeted freezers to promote its use of fresh beef, for which the company won a Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

In 2025, The Wendy's Company launched Project Fresh, a strategic plan to drive growth and enhance value creation, focusing on strengthening the foundation, enhancing restaurant performance, and modernizing the customer experience. The company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol WEN and reported more than $2 billion of revenue in fiscal year 2024. [edit]