Rarely in modern society can one find an example of a truly honest yet successful individual. The founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, David Thomas, fits such criteria. Thomas was born in on July 2, 1932 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, but he was adopted soon afterward by Rex and Auleva Thomas. Much of David's early life was spent moving around the country while his father searched for employment; his mother died when he was only five years old. A highlight of his childhood involved visits to his grandmother in Michigan, who taught him the value of hard work and treating people right,.
Thomas's first job was at a restaurant in Knoxville when he was 12. This job made an obvious impression on him, as he was quickly convinced that the restaurant business was meant for him. He dropped out of high school to work full-time at a restaurant in Ft. Wayne. Although this arguably started his career as a successful businessman, he considers this to be his greatest mistake. Nonetheless, through his work at this restaurant, Thomas met Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
In 1962, Dave was given a chance to reverse the fortunes of four failing KFC franchises in Colombus, Ohio. He succeeded in four years and sold the restaurants back to KFC, earning a hefty percentage of the profit. At age 35, Thomas was a millionaire. This money was put to good use in the founding of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers. The first Wendy's opened in Colombus, but it revolutionized the fast food business across the country. Wendy's was committed to serving only made-to-order food, waiting to cook their hamburgers until the sale was made. Thomas also made it a point to prepare only fresh (never frozen) meat. Unsold but cooked meat was made into chili. He revolutionized the industry in more ways than the food; Wendy's was well-known for well-furnished interiors, including carpeting and Bentwood chairs.
