You know, nothing beats
a great cheeseburger. Dave Thomas was an orphan. Eating hamburgers in restaurants
was the only thing that gave him a sense of belonging — and purpose. When he was 8-years-old, he set out
a plan to open the best restaurant in the world and later founded Wendy’s. But first, he had to take on a
risk that would make or break his career: turn KFC’s failing stores
into a successful franchise. In 1932, Dave Thomas
was born in New Jersey. His parents weren't married and put him
up for adoption when he was six-weeks-old. Several months later, he was
taken in by a couple from Michigan who kept his adoption a secret. Still, Thomas never got the
chance to know what it was like to grow up with a real family. When he was five-years-old, his mother
passed away from rheumatic fever. From then on, Dave's father
struggled to find work. He bounced from job to job and state to
state and could only afford to settle in dirty boarding houses or cramped trailers. "He was a hard worker and honest. But as far as being a father, he didn't
have the time or the inclination." -Dave Thomas Fortunately, Dave's grandmother made time
for him and sometimes brought him to work. She was a cook and dishwasher
at a white-tablecloth restaurant that served family-style meals. From inside the kitchen, Dave
would watch the hustle and bustle between the staff and the customers
eat and laugh with excitement. It became a pastime — especially when he
ate dinner with his father in silence. He rarely cooked and brought Dave
to greasy diners for his favorite meal: a mouthwatering hamburger. "It was a substitution for other things. There's something about eating, about
the family tradition of eating together. When people eat, they're happy." -Dave Thomas While Dave had a rough start to his
childhood, he discovered a passion that led to the inspiration behind Wendy's. When Dave was 10-years-old, his
father remarried and moved to Indiana. Dave no longer felt welcomed at
home, so he set out to find work from anyone who would hire him. He ended up working several odd jobs
that he hated and didn’t keep for very long — including a gas station attendant,
paperboy, golf caddy, and pinsetter. One day, he got fired from a
new job at Walgreens after they discovered he was underage. When his father found out, he slammed
his fist on the kitchen table. “You’ll never keep a job! I’ll be supporting you for the
rest of your life!” he shouted. At that moment, Dave vowed
never to lose another job again. Fortunately, he quickly found a new
one at a restaurant called The Regas. During the school year,
he worked every weekend. And during the summer, he
worked every day for 12-hours. But Dave didn’t mind. He was happy to be working in a
restaurant and looked up to the owners, Frank and George Regas, as his mentors. “As long as you try, you can do
anything you want to do, be anything you want to be,” they would tell Dave. The Regas brothers not only motivated
him but made him feel like he belonged. But not long after, Dave discovered
shocking news that made him feel more alone than ever. When Dave turned 13, his
grandmother revealed the truth about his identity: he was adopted. “It really hurt that
nobody told me before. it is a terrible feeling
to know my natural mother didn’t want me.” -Dave Thomas From then on, Dave became more determined
to make it on his own and developed a work ethic that helped build Wendy’s. When Dave was 15-years-old, his
father moved the family to Fort Wayne. Right away, he found a new job as a busboy
at a restaurant called the Hobby House. There, he met his third
mentor: Phil Clauss. Even in a suit, Phil would sweep
the floors and put away the dishes. He was not only a hard
worker but kind and humble. “If I can do it, anyone
can do it,” he would say. Just when Dave was starting
to feel at home, his father announced they were moving again. This time, Dave didn’t join them. Instead, he rented a room
near the Hobby House. “Someday, you’ll be proud of me. I’m going to have my own restaurant,
and I’m going to be a success,” Dave told his father as he prepared to leave. “I hope you’re right, son. Good luck to you,” his father responded. At 15-years-old, Dave was on his own and
working a minimum of 50 hours a week. In one of his school essays on the
pursuit of happiness, he wrote, “Before I ever go into business
myself, I am going to know my business. I am going to start on a small
scale and build my experience.” He also wrote how he
would achieve his goal. “After I finish school, I want to join
the army for a while and be a cook. In this way, I will get more experience
... I will be all set to start the pursuit of happiness with a restaurant of my own.” Not long after, he dropped out
of high school and enlisted in the army a few years later. Starting from the bottom prepared
Dave for a risky endeavour that paved the way for Wendy’s success. When Dave was dispatched from
the army, he returned to the Hobby House and worked as a cook. Over the years, he worked his way up
to being the manager to vice president. One day, Phil told him about a man
he met at a restaurant convention who could bring in more business. “His name is Harland Sanders,
and he says he invented a recipe and a new way of frying chicken,”
Phil said with excitement. Dave raised his eyebrows. “Why should we pay some guy who looks
like a billy goat for his recipe when we already have good chicken,” Dave argued. For once, Phil didn’t listen to
Dave and signed a deal to sell Harland’s Kentucky Fried Chicken. For each piece they sold, they
would give him five cents. Afterwards, Harland came into the
restaurant and introduced himself to Dave. “When he left, I had a sense this man was
going to change my life,” Dave recalled. Within a few months, the Hobby House
became one of the first and biggest take-out restaurants in the U.S. People were hooked on Harland’s
fried chicken and would wait in lines outside the door. Eventually, Phil opened four Kentucky
Fried Chicken franchises in Columbus. But his partners didn’t have
any restaurant experience and hired the wrong people. After just a year, each store
struggled to stay afloat, and Phil was over $2 million in debt. It was then that Phil decided to ask Dave
to take on a risky endeavour: turn the stores around for a 40% stake in each one. Everyone, including Harland, told
him he was making a big mistake. “Listen to the Colonel, boy. As your friend, get out now while you can. Things are just too far
gone here,” Harland warned. By then, Dave was married
with four children. It was his only chance to make
more money to support his family. Within six years, he
surprised everyone but Phil. He managed to turn the stores
around by simplifying the menu, coming up with its iconic sign,
and changing the frying method. One year later, he sold his share of the
KFC franchises for more than $1.5 million. Turning a failing business into a
successful franchise taught Dave how to save Wendy’s in the future. After Dave sold his shares and
became a millionaire, he feared that he would one day struggle again. So when the opportunity came to lead
operations for another franchise, he didn’t hesitate to say yes. But his dream of owning a
restaurant was still on his mind. So much that he would talk about how
he would make the perfect hamburger to his friend, Len Immke, for hours. Eventually, Len grew tired of
hearing Dave talk about his plans instead of acting on them. One day, he drove him to
downtown Columbus in hopes of grabbing a hamburger for lunch. “It’s closed,” Dave
said in disappointment. “See, Dave. This is what I’ve been telling you. It’s tough to get a
meal down here at noon. We really need a hamburger
operation,” Len pleaded. Afterwards, Lenn told Dave he had the
perfect location for him: a building that he owned at 257 East Broad St. Immediately, they shook hands
on a deal, and Dave started to think of a restaurant name. He settled on Wendy’s — named
after his red-headed, freckle-faced 8-year-old daughter. On November 15, 1969, Wendy’s was open
for business and specialized in its iconic square patties and Frosty dessert. Customers were hooked, and
within six weeks, the restaurant was already making a profit. Not one to sit back, Dave continued
to think of ways to improve the business and introduced the
world’s first pick-up window. He also launched a salad bar,
the hot-stuffed baked potato, and a super value menu. When he decided to franchise,
people told him there was no room for another hamburger chain. But he quickly proved them wrong. Wendy’s went public three years later. It also became the first in its industry
to surpass $1 billion in annual sales within its first 10 years and opened
stores faster than its competitors. Today, it’s the third-largest
hamburger chain in the U.S. and has more than 6,500
stores in 30 countries. In Dave’s memoir, he shared key advice
for aspiring entrepreneurs, “Your fears and self-doubts are your personal traps. You may say, ‘I’ve never done it
before, how do I know I can do it?’ There are never any guarantees, but
there are also no rewards without risk. Talk positively to yourself because
your own negative thoughts will hold you back more than another person will.” This is the story of how an unwanted
child beat the odds and turned his passion for burgers into a billion-dollar chain. For more inspiring stories and advice
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