[6] The company specifies stores' standards; owners control opening hours, decor, and staff uniforms and pay.

The chain serves square hamburger patties on circular buns, sea salt fries, and the Frosty, soft ice cream mixed with starches.

Thomas founded Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, selling square patties with corners that stuck out of the circular bun, giving the impression of plentiful meat.

[8][9] Basketball star John Havlicek, an Ohio State University alumnus, was one of Thomas's earliest investors, which allowed him to retire comfortably.

[citation needed] Thomas wrote that he regretted naming the restaurant after his daughter because once it became a fast food empire she "lost some of her privacy" with many people assuming she was the official company spokesperson.

[18] Wendy's entered the Asian market by opening its first restaurants in Japan in 1980, in Hong Kong in 1982, and in the Philippines and Singapore in 1983.

[23] The chain opened locations in West Germany in the 1980s in Mannheim, Heidelberg and Munich and other areas where the US maintained Army bases.

[25][26] In 1988, Wendy's expanded its bar to a full-blown buffet called the Superbar for $2.99; while popular it was difficult to maintain and was discontinued in 1998.

[27] In 1989, Wendy's opened its first restaurant in Greece at Syntagma Square, Athens, the first foreign fast-food chain in the country.

After opening 12 restaurants in 3 cities, the company abandoned the Greek market in 2002 due to differences with the local franchisee, although it was a very successful and profitable business at the time.

[30] In 1998, Wendy's pulled out of South Korea by closing all its 15 restaurants and in 2000 exited from the UK, Argentina, and Hong Kong.

It was later put on the menu full-time in 1996 because of its popularity and its ease of preparation; it used the same condiments as the standard fried chicken sandwich.

[94] To avoid problems encountered with the 1985 breakfast, the 2007 menu was designed for ease of operation, lower cost, and reduced preparation time.

[98] It began offering new a cinnamon roll-like baked good via a partnership with Cinnabon in February 2024, and this came on top of other recent additions like a breakfast burrito that resembled something from Taco Bell and or a sandwich similar to the McMuffin from McDonalds, as CNN reported.

[125] In late August 2022, 97 people reported getting sick after eating sandwiches containing romaine lettuce at Wendy's restaurants in the U.S. states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Kentucky.

[126] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention never could officially identify the specific source of the E. coli outbreak, but Wendy's removed romaine lettuce from the affected restaurants.

[127][128] In October 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the E. coli outbreak was over, stating that at least 109 people had been impacted.

[129] After successful early growth of the chain, sales flattened as the company struggled to achieve brand differentiation in the highly competitive fast-food market.

Her famous line quickly entered the American pop culture (it was even used by Walter Mondale in a debate with Gary Hart in the Democratic primary election) and served to promote Wendy's hamburgers.

After a round of conventional ads describing the food they serve, in 2004 they tried using a character they made called "Mr. Wendy" who claimed to be the unofficial spokesperson for the chain.

Wendy's marketing arm engages in product placement in films and television and is sometimes seen on ABC's reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, serving food to the more than 100 construction workers.

The inclusion of the song in the commercial provoked an internal conflict between members of the Violent Femmes, which resulted in a lawsuit between bassist Brian Ritchie and lead singer Gordon Gano that ultimately led to the band disbanding in 2009 (however, they would reunite in 2013).

"[137][138] In 2013, social media advertising featuring Nick Lachey directed at millennials promoted the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger.

[139] A 2014 campaign to promote the Tuscan Chicken on Ciabatta sandwich entitled L'Estrella de la Toscana (or "Star of Tuscany" in English) was launched on television and social media.

[140] Wendy's has been the target of protests and boycotts by advocates of the Fair Food Program (FFP) in the US due to corporate refusal to join the agricultural worker protection partnership,[149] established in 2011.

[150] In 2016, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers began a US-wide boycott of Wendy's to pressure the company to join the FFP,[151] supported by the Student/Farmworker Alliance.

[152] A key component of the predecessors to the FFP was commitment by buyers of agricultural products like tomatoes to pay growers a small amount more (such as one penny per pound), to be passed on to their field workers.

[160] On October 3, 2019, Wendy's released a tabletop role-playing game titled Feast of Legends: Rise From the Deep Freeze,[161][162] in the style of Dungeons & Dragons.