Wendy Thomas
Encyclopedia
Melinda Lou "Wendy" Morse (nee
Thomas, born September 14, 1961) is the daughter and fourth child of American businessman Dave Thomas
, the founder of the restaurant Wendy's
. Morse is best known for being the namesake
and mascot
of the restaurant.
.
, or just "Wendy's" for short. In addition to being the namesake, her likeness was used as Wendy's logo
in the form of a young girl with red braids.
until 1999. After the death of her father Dave Thomas in 2002, Morse and her siblings bought restaurants in the Columbus, Ohio
area. , Morse herself owned or co-owned more than 30 Wendy's stores. In November 2010, she began appearing in Wendy's ads on camera for the first time. (Her voice was featured in a 1989 ad giving her father advice from off-camera.) The 2010 ads aired first in Las Vegas, Nevada
, Mobile, Alabama
, and Virginia Beach, Virginia
, test markets before being rolled out nationally.
Morse currently serves on the board of trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
.
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Thomas, born September 14, 1961) is the daughter and fourth child of American businessman Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (American businessman)
David "Dave" Thomas was an American fast-food entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers...
, the founder of the restaurant Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
. Morse is best known for being the namesake
Namesake
Namesake is a term used to characterize a person, place, thing, quality, action, state, or idea that has the same, or a similar, name to another....
and mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the restaurant.
Early life
Melinda Lou Thomas was born on September 14, 1961, in the United States of America, the fourth child of Dave ThomasDave Thomas (American businessman)
David "Dave" Thomas was an American fast-food entrepreneur and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers...
.
Importance to Wendy's
As a child, Morse was unable to pronounce the L in her name Melinda and so she became known by her nickname Wenda (with the pen-pin merger). Then 8-year old Wenda would eventually become the namesake behind the name of her father's restaurant Wendy's Old Fashioned HamburgersWendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
, or just "Wendy's" for short. In addition to being the namesake, her likeness was used as Wendy's logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
in the form of a young girl with red braids.
Later life
As an adult, Morse owned several Wendy's restaurants near Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
until 1999. After the death of her father Dave Thomas in 2002, Morse and her siblings bought restaurants in the Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
area. , Morse herself owned or co-owned more than 30 Wendy's stores. In November 2010, she began appearing in Wendy's ads on camera for the first time. (Her voice was featured in a 1989 ad giving her father advice from off-camera.) The 2010 ads aired first in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, test markets before being rolled out nationally.
Morse currently serves on the board of trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding adoptive homes for children waiting in North America’s foster care system...
.