"Clio, Michigan, USA - March 7, 2012: The Wendy's location in Clio, Michigan. Founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas, Wendy's is a chain of fast food restaurants with over 6,600 locations in the US and abroad."
FOOD NEWS
The First Wendy's Menu Only Featured Five Savory Items
By Nick Johnson
Despite the large and innovative menu they have now, the original Wendy’s restaurant only offered fries, soda, chili, their famous Frosty ice cream treat, and burgers.
Wendy’s has always prided itself on using fresh beef, and founder Dave Thomas felt that serving burgers in a square shape would allow customers to appreciate the quality.
Thomas' focus on fresh meat meant that many restaurants wound up with surplus beef at the end of the day, so to minimize waste, the leftovers were used to make their famous chili.
To develop the Frosty, Thomas reached out to Fred Kappus (of the Kappus Company), who recalled a race track that sold chocolate milkshakes infused with vanilla.
The chain hasn't played around with the Frosty formula much in the ensuing years, although they have introduced flavors like Vanilla, Peppermint, and Strawberry.