As a child, she was unable to pronounce her L's and R's, struggling with her own name Melinda, and so became known by her nickname Wendy (with the pen-pin merger).

[3] In addition to being the namesake, her likeness was used as the Wendy's logo in the form of a young freckle-faced girl in red braids.

[4][5] Thomas graduated from the University of Florida in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in consumer behaviorism.

[7] After the death of her father Dave Thomas in 2002, she and her siblings bought restaurants in her native Columbus area.

As of September 2010[update], Thomas herself owned or co-owned more than 30 Wendy's stores.