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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Content from this campaign

Social Impact & Volunteering

Notes from The Square Deal Inbox: One Customer’s Heartwarming Story
It was a new experience for our family, having a third birthday for Amos at Wendy's. Our family historically has birthday parties at home, where a multitude of kids and entire families spill into our neighboring parking lot, and chaos breeds happy little people. Amos is an enigma though. He may adore his own family, but he doesn't naturally gravitate towards his peers and he doesn't love a crowd like the rest of us. As much as I longed to have a party, deep down I knew it would only be for me.

Responsible Production & Consumption

Here’s The Beef: Wendy’s Joins the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef
We recently took another step in our long-time commitment to sourcing quality beef responsibly by joining the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. Their goal is simple – to work together with lots of different stakeholders to sustain responsible beef production for years to come. One of our team members who lives and breathes quality beef every day is also one of our rising stars, Manager of Quality Assurance for Beef, Sarah Wells. Sarah is one of the most upbeat and optimistic people you’ll ever meet. Fortunately, she loves to travel because we keep her on the road all the time. She’s an expert in meat science and animal care, and she taught at the collegiate level before joining Wendy’s two and a half years ago.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Wendy’s Believes in Giving Back
Our founder Dave Thomas believed everyone has an obligation to put back into life more than what they take out. With that in mind, Wendy’s was founded with the belief that a company should do more than just sell a product or service. We believe in giving back to our local communities and continuing Dave’s legacy, which is why Give Something Back is one of our brand’s core values.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

The Church Brothers: Two Guys Who Know Their Way Around a Field of Lettuce
Tom and Steve Church, founders of Church Brothers Farms, were recently awarded the Produce Marketers for All Seasons award during this year’s Fresh Summit. The award recognizes the legacy of service and innovation that Tom and Steve have demonstrated for more than 45 years, making them a pretty big deal in Salinas Valley agriculture.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

White Shirts and Red Ties All Around
Wendy's celebrated Founder's Week by giving back to their communities.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Supporting Foster Care Adoption…it’s as Easy as Eating Dinner!
At Wendy’s we have a wonderful tradition of celebrating our birthday and honoring our founder every year during Founder’s Week. This year, we make Founder’s Week even more special with the introduction of National Adoption Night. Tonight, on November 15, more than 90 percent of our restaurants will donate 15 percent of their evening sales to help local children in foster care find loving homes.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

It’s a Big Deal – National Adoption Month
November is the Anniversary of the founding of The Wendy's Company as well as National Adoption Month. Founder Dave Thomas was instrumental in helping cut the red-tape barriers to adoption on a national level.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Wendy’s Wouldn’t Be Wendy’s Without Franchising
The franchise business model has been around for decades and generally allows entrepreneurs to purchase an agreement or license to market a product or service while using the trademark of a larger company. Of the 6,500 restaurants in the Wendy’s system, only about 400 are currently owned by The Wendy’s Company. The majority are owned and operated by Wendy’s franchisees: small business owners who are working hard to grow the economy, create jobs, and give something back to their local communities.

Health & Healthcare

How a Frosty Saved My Sons’ Halloween
Wendy's Jr. Frosty Coupon Books ensure that kids with Celiac Disease can have a safe treat on Halloween and proceeds go to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Wendy’s Franchise Convention Recap
Each fall, we host a convention-style meeting for all of our U.S. and Canadian franchisees. Every other year we include our global franchise partners as well. These conventions involve lots of planning, a reasonable amount of stress (you try guessing what 1,500 people want to have for dinner), and time away from home and family.

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...