The Stunningly Cheap Price For The Original Wendy's Frosty

When you think of Wendy's, the first thing that probably pops into your head is the signature Frosty. While other fast food restaurants also sling burgers and fries (although they may not be square like Wendy's patty), no other restaurant carries this iconic dessert. The Frosty was the brainchild of Wendy's founder Dave Thomas and Fred Kappus, an ice cream machine distributor, although they didn't come up with the idea entirely on their own. Kappus claims they received their inspiration from frosted malts that used to be sold at a race track in Cleveland, Ohio, according to the Wendy's Blog.

Kappus was contacted by Thomas shortly after he opened his first Wendy's location. Thomas was looking for help creating the perfect frozen dessert to add to his new restaurant, and enlisted Kappus, who knew ice cream, for his expertise. "Dave wanted a dessert on the menu that was so thick you had to eat it with a spoon," Wendy's chief marketing officer Ian Rowden said of the dessert's origins. The end result was the famous Frosty — not quite ice cream, not quite a shake, but a delicious combination of the two that was unlike any other treat on the market.

https://web.archive.org/web/20...The Frosty was one of the original menu items at the very Wendy's location, which was opened on 257 East Broad Street, in Columbus, Ohio in 1969, according to Ohio History Central. In fact, the "Frosty Dairy Dessert" was one of just five items available for purchase, along with "hot 'n juicy hamburgers, rich 'n meaty chili, French fries, [and] soft drinks," (per Wendy's website).

The original Frosty's flavor was a unique blend of chocolate and vanilla, which was added to give the chocolate a smoother, more malty flavor. The other essential part of the recipe was the temperature; Frostys are served precisely between 19 and 21 degrees Fahrenheit, to ensure it retains their thick, creamy, and smooth texture. But those first Frostys were not just innovative — they were also quite affordable. 

Back in 1969, a Frosty cost just 35 cents. This frozen dessert has since become one of the chain's most popular menu items, selling over 300 million Frostys worldwide. Unfortunately, these days, a Frosty no longer costs just a few dimes. However, it is still a pretty good bargain. According to Fast Food Menu Prices, a small Frosty these days costs a pretty reasonable 99 cents, although prices may vary by location.

For almost 40 years, the original Frosty recipe remained unchanged, and it was only available in the original flavor — chocolate. However, as time went on, customers began clamoring for more variety in their Frosty flavors. Finally, in August of 2006, the fast food chain announced that they would be launching the long-awaited Vanilla Frosty (per QSR Web.com). Over the years, the chain has experimented with a number of other Frosty flavors, including Strawberry, Birthday Cake, Bananas Foster, seasonal flavors like Peppermint, and even a Pickle Frosty (via Thrillist). However, most of these flavors are special, limited-edition items that do not stay on the menu for long.

In the summer of 2022, Wendy's introduced yet another innovative, limited-edition Frosty flavor in the UK: the Strawberry Frosty Swirl, which features "a drizzle of delicious strawberry syrup" over a sweet Vanilla Frosty base, according to Delish. But while Frosty fans might have more options to choose from these days, the original chocolate Frosty still holds a special place in Wendy's history –and in the hearts of Frosty fans everywhere.