The Square Deal

Ever wonder why a Wendy’s® hamburger is square? Our founder Dave Thomas started Wendy’s in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio with a simple idea. Great food, served hot and fresh, by nice people. And the square thing? That came from his childhood role model, Grandma Minnie, who told him to Never Cut Corners. Dave didn’t have the easiest childhood. He was adopted as a baby and then his adoptive mother died when he was very young. His father remarried three times and often struggled to find a job so the family moved around frequently. Dave found solace and community in restaurants – he recalled being eight years old when he first dreamed of starting a restaurant where “everyone would love my food.” Today, we remain committed to his ideals like Quality is our Recipe® (and we still don’t cut corners), and Do the Right Thing. With his childhood as our example, our signature cause is foster care adoption and finding homes for the hundreds of thousands of children who are waiting in foster care to find their forever families. Interested in hearing more? We’ll use this space to give you The Square Deal™ – our views on food, quality, culture, children’s issues and doing our best to make Dave proud.

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Health & Healthcare

A Wonderful Surprise Happened at a Wendy’s Restaurant
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NBC’s Today show is spotlighting three women diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing treatments as part of its Pink Power Series. Dahlia Clarke-Hanshaw, a general manager at a Wendy's restaurant in Norwalk, Connecticut, was nominated and chosen to be featured on #PinkPowerTODAY for her positive attitude, courage and persistence during this time.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Wendy's Celebrates Adoption-Friendly Workplaces

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Wendy’s High School Heisman – Application Now Open
Summer is just about coming to a close. Which – is a bummer. We know. But at Wendy’s®, there’s a silver lining: the kickoff to Wendy’s High School Heisman® Scholarship season. You know we are passionate about a lot. Fresh beef, for instance. Quality ingredients overall. The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption®. But for the past 23 years, Wendy’s has also been a champion for students who show incredible passion in overcoming obstacles to be successful in the classroom, on the athletic field and within their communities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Join Wendy's in Supporting the American Red Cross Relief Efforts for Hurricane Harvey
Over the past few days, Hurricane Harvey has caused unprecedented and catastrophic flooding in southeastern Texas and Louisiana. Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of the Wendy’s Family and all those who have been affected by this tragedy.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

A Wendy’s Franchise and a Good Cause: How to Get More Out of a Day on the Links
One of the largest events is the annual Charity Golf Tournament, hosted by The Briad Group – a Wendy’s franchise organization. For the past 16 years, Rick Barbrick, Brad Honigfeld, Dave Cahill and their teams have hosted this fun daylong golf tournament and dinner, inviting their partners to enjoy a day, rain or shine, dedicated to raising funds for the Foundation. Last year, this event, through the tremendous commitment of The Briad Group, raised an amazing $400,000 for the Foundation!

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Celebrating 25 Years of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
It is an exciting year for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption as we celebrate our 25th anniversary on July 31. Since 1992, the Foundation has been committed to the vision of our founder, Dave Thomas: to ensure every child has a permanent and loving family. Our mission has never wavered. Each day we work to dramatically increase the number of adoptions from foster care. We believe that family is the birthright of every child and that every child is adoptable.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

From Foster Care to Forever Families

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

A Heartwarming Story About Community, Wendy’s Style
When Ryan, who is autistic, first came to Wendy’s, he kept to himself. But he soon took notice of Becky, who quickly memorized his favorite meal, a 10 piece chicken nugget, size large, with ranch. Ryan began studying Becky’s nametag and stealing glances at her smile. He started saying Becky’s name first to himself, then to Becky. These days, he gives a booming greeting, and his once shy mannerisms have given way to high-fives and hugs.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Flyboys, Franchisees, and Making Mom Proud
A “flyboy” is just another, more casual name for a pilot. A “tail gunner” is a crewman on a military aircraft who is stationed at the rear of the aircraft and defends against enemy fire. A “radioman” operates – you guessed it – the radio. You don’t hear these terms very often, unless you’re the owner of the Wendy’s in West Hills, CA. In that case, you hear them every Monday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. when they turn your restaurant into the epicenter of a warm and welcoming reunion of more than 100 aviation veterans.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Family Recipe: Aaron Ewen Keeps it Consistent
Meet Aaron Ewen. Aaron works for First Sun Management Corporation, a Wendy’s franchise organization based in South Carolina. Before Aaron was promoted to district manager, he was a general manager and his franchise organization named his Wendy’s “restaurant of the year” in 2016, which is pretty impressive because, in Aaron’s words, “The Clemson location is the only Wendy’s that I have had the honor of running.”

More from The Wendy's Company

  1. The Square Deal
    Ever wonder why a Wendy’s® hamburger is square? Our founder Dave Thomas started Wendy’s in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio with a simple idea. Great food...