Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on September 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company moved its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of March 1999, Wendy's was the world's third largest hamburger fast food chain with approximately 6,650 locations, following Burger King' 12,000+ locations and McDonald's' 31,000+ locations. On April 24, 2008, the company announced a merger with Triarc, the parent company of Arby's. Despite the new ownership, Wendy's headquarters remained in Dublin. Previously, Wendy's had rejected more than two buyout offers from Triarc Companies Inc. Following the merger, Triarc became known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, a publicly traded company.
Approximately 77% of Wendy's restaurants are franchised, the majority of which are located in North America. Wendy's and its affiliates employ more than 46,000 people in its global operations. In fiscal year 2006, the firm had $2.469 billion (USD) in total sales. While Wendy's sets standards for exterior store appearance, food quality and menu, individual owners have control over hours of operations, interior decor, pricing and staff uniforms and wages.
Wendy's menu consists primarily of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and beverages, including the Frosty. Unlike Burger King and McDonald's, the company does not have a signature sandwich, such as the Big Mac or the Whopper. Instead, it has the Dave's Hot 'N Juicy 1/4 lb. Single (introduced in 2011 as a reworking of the longstanding Wendy's Single), a square-pattied burger made with fresh ground beef rather than round frozen patties. Wendy's uses these square hamburger patties as its signature item.
The chain is known for its square hamburgers, sea salt fries and the Frosty, a form of soft serve ice cream mixed with frozen starches. The idea for Wendy's "old fashioned" hamburgers was actually inspired by Dave Thomas's trips to Kewpee Hamburgers in his home town of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Kewpee sold square hamburgers and thick malt shakes, much like the well-known restaurant that Thomas eventually founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. Within a year, Thomas opened a second restaurant in Columbus, featuring what Wendy's claims in its corporate history was "the first modern-day, drive-thru window," added in 1971.[citation needed] The Columbus location later added a Tim Hortons and was closed on March 2, 2007 after 38 years of business due to declining sales. Thomas named the restaurant after his fourth child Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas. Photographs of her were on display at the original Wendy's restaurant until it closed.
In 1979, Wendy's was the first fast-food chain to introduce the salad bar. In 1988, Wendy's expanded its bar to a full-blown buffet called the Superbar for $2.99. The Superbar had various stations: “Mexican Fiesta”, the Italian “Pasta Pasta,” and the “Garden Spot”, salad and fruit. The Superbar was popular but difficult to maintain thus was discontinued in 1998.
In response to a 1986 slowdown in the chain's performance, Wendy's restructured its cleanliness standards, menu and other operational details to ensure that stores met the goals and standards of the parent company so that its franchises were competitive in the market.
Garden Sensations salads were added in 2002.
Source: Wikipedia.
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