Dave Thomas (Wendy's)

• always 3 deals ahead.
• 1932, a hamburger cost 5 cents.
• Thomas was born in Atlantic City.
• when he was 5 years old, his adoptive mother died.
• his father and him would always eat at restaurants together.
• 1944, Dave and his adoptive father moved.
• Dave walked into the local family restaurant, Regis and worked at a young age.
• worked until 3-4 in the morning.
• worked a full time job at age 12.
• Dave took his job as a challenge
• had a vision of what he wanted to do with a chain of restaurants he wanted to create.
• 1947, his adopted father moved his new wife and stepdaughter into their trailer with no indoor plumbing and didn't have a bedroom of his own.
• dropped out of high school at 15.
• got a job at the Hobby House restaurant.
• was willing to work extra, stay late, and have projects to develop or create an idea.
• 1950, at the age of 18, joined the army.
• went through cooking school.
• returned in 1953.
• Lorraine (a waitress) and Dave got married a year later.
• Dave Thomas was already a veteran in the food business at age 20.
• loved to promote.
• created "carry-out"
• him and his wife had 4 children in 6 years.
• Dave became friends with Sanders, creator of KFC.
• Dave helped out Sanders' businesses in Ohio, but didn't enjoy himself.
• believed him and Sanders' had the best product.
• didn't know how to enjoy his life, he just knew how to enjoy work.
• late 1960's, successful and rich.
• age 37, veteran of 25 years of hard work
• 1969, at age 37 came up with the name of Wendy, the nickname of his daughter.
• downtown Ohio in 1969 was when Wendy's first opened.
• didn't pay attention to his kid's schools.
• had the drive-thru and increased sales by 50%
• 1975, the company went public.
• 1978, there were 1,000 Wendy's.
• 1979, put in a salad bar.
• was the only one who stood at the grill and flipped the product himself.
• the market was under served and overstocked.
• 1990's, Wendy's was an official success.
• 1992, Wendy's opened it's 4,000 store.