The Little-Known Connection Between KFC And Wendy's

Despite their popularity, it turns out there are many fun facts about both KFC and Wendy's that many people don't know. For instance, were you aware the two are actually connected by an important figure who played a role in both of their histories? These two restaurant chains have equally fascinating backstories, although KFC's roots reach much further back than Wendy's.

Both KFC and Wendy's began in the 1900s, but KFC emerged in the first half of the century. Per KFC, its founder, Harland Sanders, was born at the end of the 1800s in Indiana (not Kentucky). He tried out several different occupations — farmer, railroad fireman, and steamboat pilot — before buying a roadside motel in Kentucky during the 1930s. There, Sanders sold southern-style chicken and developed the secret 11 herbs and spices that have since become famous. In the 50s, Sanders donned his iconic white suit and began opening Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises across the United States. Sanders sold KFC in 1964 (via History) and died in 1976, but his legacy still lives on to this day. Yet, Sanders is not the key individual linking KFC and Wendy's together.

That honor belongs to Dave Thomas, who was born over four decades after Sanders, in 1932. At the time he was a teenager, Thomas began working at multiple restaurants, as a busboy and cook. After briefly serving in the military, Thomas returned to work and ended up managing a handful of fast-food franchises before creating Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers (partially named after his daughter) in 1969. The original menu included chili, fries, soda, and, of course, square burgers and Frosty desserts. A drive-in window was added in 1970, dubbed a pick-up window by Thomas himself, making fast food even faster. This also had the effect of turning Wendy's into a true chain with thousands of stores, including its very own franchises.

Even after Thomas stepped away from the company in 1982, as noted by the Encyclopedia Britannica, he later returned to it and became the face of the business in 1989. Sadly, Thomas died in 2002, but like Sanders, his impact endures. What does any of Thomas' life story have to do with KFC, though?

Dave Thomas was once a part of Kentucky Fried Chicken. As reported by the Greensboro News & Record, the second restaurant to ever hire Thomas — known as Hobby House — ended up becoming a KFC franchise. In 1962, despite thinking it was a mission doomed to fail, Sanders offered Thomas partial ownership of four struggling Hobby House locations... if Thomas could turn them around. Putting on a white suit and black tie, Thomas shrank Hobby House's large menus down and turned them into KFC menus focused on chicken and salad. He also invented KFC's iconic spinning bucket sign! As a result, those KFC locations (once Hobby Houses) became profitable, and Thomas earned himself enough money to start his own business: Wendy's.

In fact, Thomas' time spent learning from Colonel Sanders ended up being more than just trivia fare. In his autobiography, "Dave's Way," Thomas stated that the wisdom he gained at KFC taught him to rely on a mascot as well as his own persona to build customer loyalty (via CNN). No wonder KFC and Wendy's are so similar!