Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas died
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bluntforcemama
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Natural causes? Or clogged arteries from all the greasy food?
Pokerman
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From Excite.com
Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas Dies
01/08/2002 11:50 AM EST
By MARK WILLIAMS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Dave Thomas, the portly pitchman whose homespun ads built Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers into one of the world's most successful fast-food enterprises, died Tuesday of liver cancer. He was 69.
Thomas died around midnight at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the company said.
Thomas had been undergoing kidney dialysis since early 2001 and had quadruple heart bypass surgery in December 1996.
"He was the heart and soul of our company. He had a passion for great tasting hamburgers, and devoted his life to serving customers great food and helping those less fortunate in his community," said Jack Schuessler, chairman and chief executive of Wendy's, based in the Columbus suburb of Dublin.
The founder and senior chairman of Wendy's International became a household name when he began pitching his burgers and fries in television commercials in 1989. The smiling Thomas, always wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and red tie, touted the virtues of fast-food in more than 800 humorous ads, sometimes featuring stars such as bluesman B.B. King and soap opera queen Susan Lucci.
"As long as it works, I'll continue to do the commercials," Thomas said in a 1991 interview. "When it's not working any longer, then I'm history."
Industry analysts and company officials said the ads helped the company rebound from a difficult period in the mid-1980s when earnings sank.
"He's given Wendy's a corporate identity ... a down-homey type image. The lack of sophistication is a real benefit for the company," Diane Mustain, a financial analyst, said in 1991.
"Although Dave was wildly popular, he was never very comfortable as a celebrity. He kept reminding us he was simply a hamburger cook," Schuessler said.
But burgers weren't his first love. Thomas, who was adopted as an infant, became a national advocate for adoption.
He created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a not-for-profit organization focused on raising public awareness of adoption. The profits from his books, "Dave's Way" and "Well Done!" go to the foundation.
He once testified before a Congressional committee about the importance of creating incentives for adoption.
"I know firsthand how important it is for every child to have a home and loving family," he testified. "Without a family, I would not be where I am today."
Born July 2, 1932, Thomas was 12 when he got his first restaurant job - as a counterman in Knoxville, Tenn.
In 1956, he was working at a barbecue restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind., when Col. Harland Sanders of KFC fame stopped in on a promotional tour. Thomas's boss bought a KFC franchise, and six years later, Thomas came to Columbus to take over four failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
He sold them back to the founder in 1968 for $1.5 million, making him a millionaire at 35.
He opened his first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers in Columbus a year later. He named the restaurant after his 8-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, nicknamed Wendy by her siblings.
The chain now has 6,000 restaurants worldwide. In 1996, Wendy's acquired the Canadian-based Tim Hortons, the coffee and fresh-baked goods chain which has grown to more than 2,000 stores. Both have combined sales of more than $8 billion.
Thomas was a forgiving businessman.
The city of Philadelphia in 1994 wanted to fine Wendy's $98,400, claiming the restaurant was selling quarter-pounders that were up to a quarter of an ounce short. The city later announced it made an error and withdrew the fine.
"I understand what happened," said Thomas, who visited the city shortly after the controversy. "Things happen. Mistakes happen. As far as we're concerned, we just want to go to the future. A bright future."
He tried to retire in 1982, but came back in 1989.
"They took the focus off the consumer," he said of the executives who took over the company.
Despite his success, it wasn't until 1993 that Thomas earned a high school equivalency certificate.
That year, he told 2,500 Columbus public school seniors his biggest mistake was not finishing high school.
"We have 4,000 restaurants today, but if I had gotten my high school diploma, we might have 8,000," he said.
---
Associated Press Writer Kate Roberts contributed to this story
Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas Dies
01/08/2002 11:50 AM EST
By MARK WILLIAMS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Dave Thomas, the portly pitchman whose homespun ads built Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers into one of the world's most successful fast-food enterprises, died Tuesday of liver cancer. He was 69.
Thomas died around midnight at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the company said.
Thomas had been undergoing kidney dialysis since early 2001 and had quadruple heart bypass surgery in December 1996.
"He was the heart and soul of our company. He had a passion for great tasting hamburgers, and devoted his life to serving customers great food and helping those less fortunate in his community," said Jack Schuessler, chairman and chief executive of Wendy's, based in the Columbus suburb of Dublin.
The founder and senior chairman of Wendy's International became a household name when he began pitching his burgers and fries in television commercials in 1989. The smiling Thomas, always wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and red tie, touted the virtues of fast-food in more than 800 humorous ads, sometimes featuring stars such as bluesman B.B. King and soap opera queen Susan Lucci.
"As long as it works, I'll continue to do the commercials," Thomas said in a 1991 interview. "When it's not working any longer, then I'm history."
Industry analysts and company officials said the ads helped the company rebound from a difficult period in the mid-1980s when earnings sank.
"He's given Wendy's a corporate identity ... a down-homey type image. The lack of sophistication is a real benefit for the company," Diane Mustain, a financial analyst, said in 1991.
"Although Dave was wildly popular, he was never very comfortable as a celebrity. He kept reminding us he was simply a hamburger cook," Schuessler said.
But burgers weren't his first love. Thomas, who was adopted as an infant, became a national advocate for adoption.
He created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a not-for-profit organization focused on raising public awareness of adoption. The profits from his books, "Dave's Way" and "Well Done!" go to the foundation.
He once testified before a Congressional committee about the importance of creating incentives for adoption.
"I know firsthand how important it is for every child to have a home and loving family," he testified. "Without a family, I would not be where I am today."
Born July 2, 1932, Thomas was 12 when he got his first restaurant job - as a counterman in Knoxville, Tenn.
In 1956, he was working at a barbecue restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind., when Col. Harland Sanders of KFC fame stopped in on a promotional tour. Thomas's boss bought a KFC franchise, and six years later, Thomas came to Columbus to take over four failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants.
He sold them back to the founder in 1968 for $1.5 million, making him a millionaire at 35.
He opened his first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers in Columbus a year later. He named the restaurant after his 8-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, nicknamed Wendy by her siblings.
The chain now has 6,000 restaurants worldwide. In 1996, Wendy's acquired the Canadian-based Tim Hortons, the coffee and fresh-baked goods chain which has grown to more than 2,000 stores. Both have combined sales of more than $8 billion.
Thomas was a forgiving businessman.
The city of Philadelphia in 1994 wanted to fine Wendy's $98,400, claiming the restaurant was selling quarter-pounders that were up to a quarter of an ounce short. The city later announced it made an error and withdrew the fine.
"I understand what happened," said Thomas, who visited the city shortly after the controversy. "Things happen. Mistakes happen. As far as we're concerned, we just want to go to the future. A bright future."
He tried to retire in 1982, but came back in 1989.
"They took the focus off the consumer," he said of the executives who took over the company.
Despite his success, it wasn't until 1993 that Thomas earned a high school equivalency certificate.
That year, he told 2,500 Columbus public school seniors his biggest mistake was not finishing high school.
"We have 4,000 restaurants today, but if I had gotten my high school diploma, we might have 8,000," he said.
---
Associated Press Writer Kate Roberts contributed to this story
Dixon Carter Lee
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I understand his coffin is going to be "Biggie Size".
Silverluna
That's Professor to You!
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I liked his style.....Wendy's is the only fast food places that uses real meat in their hamburgers.....well maybe one of the few....and the envirnomental wackos and animal rights sickos hate it! Maw haha....
And the food was good....he was a nice down to earth guy...(least thats what we all assume based on the ads....hmm...)
And the food was good....he was a nice down to earth guy...(least thats what we all assume based on the ads....hmm...)
sch00lteacher
Social Security Sucks
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I liked ol' Dave. Some of his commercials were great. Plus I really loved his stand on education.
Bye Dave.
doctor_insanus
Splendid Isolation
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One of my friends worked at Wendy's while he was in college, and Dave showed up at the restaraunt one day just to see how things were going. From what he could tell, Dave acted just like he does in the commercials.
I'm sorry to see him go.
I'm sorry to see him go.
Dixon Carter Lee
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LOL
There was no accident. He died in his sleep. Luckily, Wendy's is open 24 hours, and they were able pull up to the window and pronounce him dead.
There was no accident. He died in his sleep. Luckily, Wendy's is open 24 hours, and they were able pull up to the window and pronounce him dead.
Dixon Carter Lee
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Marxist said:
Starfish was making an inside joke about a poster named Always, dopey. It wasn't a chide. Now, let's see, that was a Pompous Indignation Combo with a Diet P.C. cola.
Would you like fries with that?
Dixon Carter Lee
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GuyJD said:
Really? Where? All I can ever find in Burbank is that damn Hot Dog place across from NBC.
seulreveur
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Too bad...
Dixon Carter Lee
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No. You don't.
Dixon Carter Lee
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Nah. We've made up. He's going to work in my corner now. I'm letting him hold my spit bucket.
Marxist
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lavender said:And on one side of the ring weighing in at ____, wearing blue, we have Marxist. And on the other side of the ring weighing in at ____, wearing white we have the former Featherweight Champion, Dixon Carter Lee.
*ding ding ding*
Time for round 2, boys.
If Dixon wants to wear the Asshole Crown he won't find me standing in the way. My claim wasn't a boast, just the sad sick fact of who I am.
Oh yeah, Lavy, I never wear blue. Red. I wear Red.
Dixon Carter Lee
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LOL
You have pail.
I mean, "mail".
You have pail.
I mean, "mail".
JennyOmanHill
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WriterDom said:
Sorry to hear that. Dave Thomas seemed like a nice guy, and Wendy's is my favorite fast food place (best choices too).
Cheers Dave!
Mike Hammer
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DCL show some respect, your Mom told me Dave was your Daddy.
Dixon Carter Lee
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Mike Hammer said:
Yes, but like his ketchup, his was stingy with love.
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