The Sad Downfall Of The World's First Wendy's

Wendy's is an international fast-food chain with stores in 30 countries worldwide. Known for its fresh burgers, chicken sandwiches, and the iconic Frosty, Wendy's has over 6,000 locations in the United States alone and was named the third most popular dining brand in 2024 by YouGov. With all this success, it's easy to forget the humble beginnings of Wendy's and its founder, Dave Thomas.

As an avid lover of hamburgers who saw a need for a good, old-fashioned burger in Columbus, Ohio, Thomas opened the first Wendy's restaurant there on November 15, 1969. Like many good ideas, the first Wendy's fast-food restaurant may have borrowed ideas from other successful chains. Legend has it that the creation of Wendy's was inspired by a chain called Kewpee Hamburgers — many believe that this small Midwestern burger chain gave Dave Thomas the idea for a restaurant that serves square-shaped burger patties made of beef that had never been frozen. Regardless of who did what first, Wendy's did it the best and quickly expanded beyond its original Columbus location. Sadly for many locals who have fond memories of the first-ever Wendy's, fans can no longer visit this historic site.

The original Wendy's stood for nearly four decades. In addition to its usual operations as a restaurant, the first-ever location also served as a time capsule celebrating the company's milestones. Fans would visit to gaze at historical artifacts, including famous campaign ads, the hamburger test griddle first used by Dave Thomas, and Wendy's iconic blue-and-white pinstriped outfit worn by its mascot. Unfortunately, the original Wendy's closed in 2007. According to NBC News, Wendy's spokesperson Denny Lynch said, "This is a very difficult decision, but the truth is we kept it open for sentimental reasons much longer than we should have."

Part of the reason this historic site became difficult to run is because of rising maintenance costs. Despite the incredible number of Frostys Wendy's sells each year, this flagship site ran into major financial setbacks. Lynch claimed that the restaurant's location, which was positioned close to many government buildings, struggled for a long while due to a lack of sales during evenings and weekends. A lack of drive-thru and minimal parking spaces made it a less convenient location for customers to visit, which also impacted earnings. The building itself required major upgrades that the company could no longer justify. The artifacts once housed there were relocated to Wendy's corporate office in Dublin, Ohio, and a historical marker was erected in 2007 honoring the site, sharing Dave Thomas's story with visitors who can no longer visit the original store.

While the original Wendy's location is no longer operating, it does not take away from the historical impact it made on the franchise. Dave Thomas's fast food chain is named after his daughter, Melinda, known as "Wendy." (In all fairness to the other Thomas children, their father workshopped all five of their names before landing on his daughter's nickname.) Melinda's likeness inspired the redhead mascot, and the adorable logo was proudly displayed on signs all over the first-ever location.

With the success of this location, Wendy's began expanding in 1970 and quickly made history. Wendy's changed fast food culture in a revolutionary way with its innovative drive-thru system. The concept of a drive-thru — or a pickup window, as Thomas called it — was not new at the time. However, Wendy's was one of the first to find a way to implement a drive-thru process successfully by having customers order from their cars using an intercom system, then pulling forward to a window on the side of the restaurant where an employee was conveniently waiting with their food without the customer ever leaving their vehicle. Rivals like McDonald's and Burger King did not introduce this model until 1975, four years behind Wendy's. As innovative as this technology was, however, the first-ever Wendy's did not have a drive-thru window, which would eventually contribute to its closure.