Dave Thomas Wendy Founder passed 3 years ago and is now known to haunt webmasters on GFY
Dave Thomas was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 2, 1932. Rex and Auleva
Thomas adopted him at six weeks old. When Dave was five, Auleva died and his early
years were spent moving from state to state while his adoptive father sought work.
Dave?s fondest memories of his childhood included summers spent with his Grandma
Minnie Sinclair in Michigan. She taught him about doing the right things, treating people
well and important lessons about quality and service ? all things he later used in his
business life.
Dave got his first job at age 12 as a counterman at a Knoxville restaurant, and fell
in love with the restaurant business. When he was 15, he found work at the Hobby
House Restaurant in Ft. Wayne. It was then that he made what he considered his greatest
mistake: he dropped out of school to work full-time. His father and stepfamily were
preparing to move again and Dave decided to stay in Ft. Wayne, move into the YMCA
and work full-time. This decision to drop out haunted him until he went back to school 45
years later and received his GED from Coconut Creek High School in Ft. Lauderdale. He
said this was one of his greatest accomplishments, as was being named ?Most Likely to
Succeed? by the graduating class of 1993.
Through his work at the Hobby House, Dave met Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky
Fried Chicken (now KFC) and the man who became one of the greatest influences in
his life. In 1962, Dave had a chance to turn around four failing KFC restaurants in
Columbus, Ohio owned by his Hobby House boss, Phil Clauss. Four years later, by using
his experience and determination, he turned the stores around, sold the restaurants back to
KFC and received a percentage of the sale ? a millionaire at age 35.
Dave often said he was lucky to have been born in America. ?Only in America,? he
said, ?would a guy like me, from humble beginnings and without a high school diploma
become successful. America gave me a chance to live the life I want and work to make
my dreams come true. We should never take our freedoms for granted, and we should
seize every opportunity presented to us.?
Dave Thomas Founder, Wendy?s International, Inc.
1932 - 2002
Dave Thomas Biography 2
His ?rags-to-riches? success story earned him the Horatio Alger Award. It was presented
to him in 1979 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a man he greatly admired.
?Innovative Twist on an Old-Fashioned Idea?
When he was a child, Dave dreamed of opening a hamburger restaurant. On November
15, 1969 Dave made his dream come true when he opened the first Wendy?s Old
Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Named for one of his daughters,
Wendy?s was everything Dave dreamed of: an old fashioned, homey place where families
could be together and enjoy great tasting, made-to-order hamburgers.
Dave?s restaurant experience and vision enabled him to devise a method to prepare fresh,
made-to-order hamburgers at a time when other quick-service restaurant chains were
mass producing their food. ?We don?t make a sandwich until it?s sold, so every Wendy?s
sandwich is served hot-off-the-grill with the customer?s choice of toppings. They aren?t
pre-made and put under a heat lamp,? Dave said. His innovative system allows Wendy?s
to prepare individually made sandwiches while serving millions of customers each day.
Dave revolutionized the industry in other ways as well. Wendy?s became known for fresh
(not frozen) ground beef hamburgers that are square rather than round. Dave explained,
?At Wendy?s, we don?t cut corners!? All hamburger patties that were cooked but not
sold became chili meat. At a time when American fast food restaurants featured plain
plastic chairs and linoleum floors, Dave created an old-fashioned atmosphere by carpeting
the dining rooms and furnishing them with Bentwood chairs, Tiffany-style lamps and
newsprint table tops. Dave also created the modern-day Pick-Up Window, revolutionizing
the quick service restaurant industry.
Under Dave?s leadership, Wendy?s was the first in the quick service restaurant industry to
introduce the salad bar and baked potatoes nationwide.
The restaurant industry and the business community have applauded Dave?s innovation
and success with Wendy?s. Dave received every major industry award and was honored
as a pioneer in the restaurant business. Though business experts would point to different
elements of Wendy?s operations as the reason for its success, to Dave it all came down to
one thing: the customers. ?If we take care of our customers every day and exceed their
expectations, we?ll earn their loyalty,? he said. ? It all comes back to the basics: serve
customers the best tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant and
they?ll keep coming back.?
?America?s Favorite Hamburger Cook?
While his success elevated his status in the business world as a pioneer, he never lost
sight of his roots. ?I?m just a hamburger cook,? Dave said on many occasions. He was
most at home when talking with Wendy?s restaurant managers and operators because he
understood them and what they face everyday. And to those managers and operators,
Dave wasn?t just the founder of the company, he was a role model and an example of how
hard work, dedication and commitment can lead to success.
Dave Thomas Biography 3
He shared his experiences and knowledge he gained in his autobiography, Dave?s Way,
published in 1991. Dave saw it as a way to give back, and provide insight into how he
turned his dreams into reality. He later published a book on success called Well Done!,
and the business book Franchising for Dummies.
His success enabled him to travel around the world. But his favorite gourmet meal never
changed: a Wendy?s Single with cheese, mustard, pickle and onion, fries, bowl of chili,
a Frosty and a diet Coke.
Dave was probably best known as the ?guy on Wendy?s TV commercials.? In early 1989,
Dave agreed to appear in a few Wendy?s commercials. During his nearly 13-year run (and
800+ commercials) as Wendy?s spokesman, Americans came to love him for his downto-
earth, homey style. This campaign made Dave one of the nation?s most recognizable
spokesmen. The Guinness World Records? recognized the Dave Thomas Campaign as
the ?Longest Running Television Advertising Campaign Starring a Company Founder.?
Throughout the campaign, Dave appeared with many famous celebrities, including NHL
star Mike Richter, Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, and soap opera star Susan
Lucci. Because of his honesty and old-fashioned values, Dave emerged from Wendy?s
advertising campaign as an American folk hero.
?Adopting the Cause?
Dave believed that everyone has a responsibility to give something back to the community.
The cause closest to his heart was adoption. Adopted as an infant, Dave felt a
strong personal tie to those children who were waiting to be adopted. He said he was
lucky to have been adopted and wanted every waiting child to have a permanent home
and loving family.
In 1990, President Bush asked Dave to head the White House Initiative on Adoption. With
his background as an adoptee and his stature in the business community, he accepted the
challenge of raising awareness for the cause. Dave found that there were several obstacles
to adoption: the red tape and paperwork was usually overwhelming, and the process too
expensive for prospective parents. There were families in America who wanted to adopt,
but the obstacles were often too great.
With this focus, Dave set his course. He devoted time and energy to special adoption
programs, including a letter-writing campaign to Fortune 1000 CEOs asking them to
make adoption benefits available to their employees. He also met with U.S. Governors
and asked them to offer adoption benefits to state employees.
In 1992, he established the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a not-for-profit
organization that provides grants to national and regional adoption organizations for
programs that raise awareness and make adoption easier and more affordable.
He realized many successes in his work for the cause. In 1996 President Clinton signed
the Tax Credit Bill into law that gives adoptive parents a one-time tax credit of $5,000
when they adopt. And in 1997, President Clinton signed the Adoption and Safe Families
Act, which reduces waiting time for children in foster care, speeds up the adoption
process and has built-in accountability and state incentives.
Dave Thomas was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 2, 1932. Rex and Auleva
Thomas adopted him at six weeks old. When Dave was five, Auleva died and his early
years were spent moving from state to state while his adoptive father sought work.
Dave?s fondest memories of his childhood included summers spent with his Grandma
Minnie Sinclair in Michigan. She taught him about doing the right things, treating people
well and important lessons about quality and service ? all things he later used in his
business life.
Dave got his first job at age 12 as a counterman at a Knoxville restaurant, and fell
in love with the restaurant business. When he was 15, he found work at the Hobby
House Restaurant in Ft. Wayne. It was then that he made what he considered his greatest
mistake: he dropped out of school to work full-time. His father and stepfamily were
preparing to move again and Dave decided to stay in Ft. Wayne, move into the YMCA
and work full-time. This decision to drop out haunted him until he went back to school 45
years later and received his GED from Coconut Creek High School in Ft. Lauderdale. He
said this was one of his greatest accomplishments, as was being named ?Most Likely to
Succeed? by the graduating class of 1993.
Through his work at the Hobby House, Dave met Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky
Fried Chicken (now KFC) and the man who became one of the greatest influences in
his life. In 1962, Dave had a chance to turn around four failing KFC restaurants in
Columbus, Ohio owned by his Hobby House boss, Phil Clauss. Four years later, by using
his experience and determination, he turned the stores around, sold the restaurants back to
KFC and received a percentage of the sale ? a millionaire at age 35.
Dave often said he was lucky to have been born in America. ?Only in America,? he
said, ?would a guy like me, from humble beginnings and without a high school diploma
become successful. America gave me a chance to live the life I want and work to make
my dreams come true. We should never take our freedoms for granted, and we should
seize every opportunity presented to us.?
Dave Thomas Founder, Wendy?s International, Inc.
1932 - 2002
Dave Thomas Biography 2
His ?rags-to-riches? success story earned him the Horatio Alger Award. It was presented
to him in 1979 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a man he greatly admired.
?Innovative Twist on an Old-Fashioned Idea?
When he was a child, Dave dreamed of opening a hamburger restaurant. On November
15, 1969 Dave made his dream come true when he opened the first Wendy?s Old
Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. Named for one of his daughters,
Wendy?s was everything Dave dreamed of: an old fashioned, homey place where families
could be together and enjoy great tasting, made-to-order hamburgers.
Dave?s restaurant experience and vision enabled him to devise a method to prepare fresh,
made-to-order hamburgers at a time when other quick-service restaurant chains were
mass producing their food. ?We don?t make a sandwich until it?s sold, so every Wendy?s
sandwich is served hot-off-the-grill with the customer?s choice of toppings. They aren?t
pre-made and put under a heat lamp,? Dave said. His innovative system allows Wendy?s
to prepare individually made sandwiches while serving millions of customers each day.
Dave revolutionized the industry in other ways as well. Wendy?s became known for fresh
(not frozen) ground beef hamburgers that are square rather than round. Dave explained,
?At Wendy?s, we don?t cut corners!? All hamburger patties that were cooked but not
sold became chili meat. At a time when American fast food restaurants featured plain
plastic chairs and linoleum floors, Dave created an old-fashioned atmosphere by carpeting
the dining rooms and furnishing them with Bentwood chairs, Tiffany-style lamps and
newsprint table tops. Dave also created the modern-day Pick-Up Window, revolutionizing
the quick service restaurant industry.
Under Dave?s leadership, Wendy?s was the first in the quick service restaurant industry to
introduce the salad bar and baked potatoes nationwide.
The restaurant industry and the business community have applauded Dave?s innovation
and success with Wendy?s. Dave received every major industry award and was honored
as a pioneer in the restaurant business. Though business experts would point to different
elements of Wendy?s operations as the reason for its success, to Dave it all came down to
one thing: the customers. ?If we take care of our customers every day and exceed their
expectations, we?ll earn their loyalty,? he said. ? It all comes back to the basics: serve
customers the best tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant and
they?ll keep coming back.?
?America?s Favorite Hamburger Cook?
While his success elevated his status in the business world as a pioneer, he never lost
sight of his roots. ?I?m just a hamburger cook,? Dave said on many occasions. He was
most at home when talking with Wendy?s restaurant managers and operators because he
understood them and what they face everyday. And to those managers and operators,
Dave wasn?t just the founder of the company, he was a role model and an example of how
hard work, dedication and commitment can lead to success.
Dave Thomas Biography 3
He shared his experiences and knowledge he gained in his autobiography, Dave?s Way,
published in 1991. Dave saw it as a way to give back, and provide insight into how he
turned his dreams into reality. He later published a book on success called Well Done!,
and the business book Franchising for Dummies.
His success enabled him to travel around the world. But his favorite gourmet meal never
changed: a Wendy?s Single with cheese, mustard, pickle and onion, fries, bowl of chili,
a Frosty and a diet Coke.
Dave was probably best known as the ?guy on Wendy?s TV commercials.? In early 1989,
Dave agreed to appear in a few Wendy?s commercials. During his nearly 13-year run (and
800+ commercials) as Wendy?s spokesman, Americans came to love him for his downto-
earth, homey style. This campaign made Dave one of the nation?s most recognizable
spokesmen. The Guinness World Records? recognized the Dave Thomas Campaign as
the ?Longest Running Television Advertising Campaign Starring a Company Founder.?
Throughout the campaign, Dave appeared with many famous celebrities, including NHL
star Mike Richter, Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, and soap opera star Susan
Lucci. Because of his honesty and old-fashioned values, Dave emerged from Wendy?s
advertising campaign as an American folk hero.
?Adopting the Cause?
Dave believed that everyone has a responsibility to give something back to the community.
The cause closest to his heart was adoption. Adopted as an infant, Dave felt a
strong personal tie to those children who were waiting to be adopted. He said he was
lucky to have been adopted and wanted every waiting child to have a permanent home
and loving family.
In 1990, President Bush asked Dave to head the White House Initiative on Adoption. With
his background as an adoptee and his stature in the business community, he accepted the
challenge of raising awareness for the cause. Dave found that there were several obstacles
to adoption: the red tape and paperwork was usually overwhelming, and the process too
expensive for prospective parents. There were families in America who wanted to adopt,
but the obstacles were often too great.
With this focus, Dave set his course. He devoted time and energy to special adoption
programs, including a letter-writing campaign to Fortune 1000 CEOs asking them to
make adoption benefits available to their employees. He also met with U.S. Governors
and asked them to offer adoption benefits to state employees.
In 1992, he established the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a not-for-profit
organization that provides grants to national and regional adoption organizations for
programs that raise awareness and make adoption easier and more affordable.
He realized many successes in his work for the cause. In 1996 President Clinton signed
the Tax Credit Bill into law that gives adoptive parents a one-time tax credit of $5,000
when they adopt. And in 1997, President Clinton signed the Adoption and Safe Families
Act, which reduces waiting time for children in foster care, speeds up the adoption
process and has built-in accountability and state incentives.
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