"Every global fast food giant has to start somewhere - and for Wendy's, (as for many high achievers), those humble beginnings happened in the Midwest. The first Wendy's opened November 15, 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. In-N-Out Burger invented the concept of the drive-thru back in the 1940s, revolutionizing quick-service forever. Just one year after opening its doors to the public, Wendy's followed In-N-Out's lead; founder Dave Thomas installed Wendy's first "pick-up window" at his Columbus restaurant in November 1970."
"The first commercial depicts a saturated-hued dining room full of folks chowing down on the chain's then-signature square shaped burger patties. "When the meat's real juicy, the more you add, the better it tastes," entices a voiceover. Another commercial from the same year reinforces Wendy's "hot and juicy" motif, and apparently, the ad campaign was effective at drawing foot traffic."
"According to data analytics firm ScrapeHero, as of June, there are 5,960 Wendy's restaurants across the U.S. Florida is home to more locations than any other state (513), followed by Texas (466) and the chain's home state of Ohio (401). Thomas is one of the select few members of The Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance's Hall of Fame. Inducted in 2020, the Alliance praises Thomas as "a true titan of Ohio's restaurant community. Where's the beef? Well, Wendy's is the largest restaurant company based in Ohio.""
Wendy's opened its first restaurant on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Founder Dave Thomas installed the chain's first pick-up window in November 1970, following earlier drive-thru innovations. The chain launched a national ad campaign in 1977 while still under 1,000 restaurants, emphasizing its square patties and a "hot and juicy" motif. Wendy's reached 1,000 restaurants in 1978 and 2,000 by 1980. The company now maintains more than 7,000 locations worldwide, with 5,960 in the U.S.; Florida, Texas, and Ohio lead in U.S. location counts. Dave Thomas was inducted into Ohio's restaurant Hall of Fame in 2020.
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