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1932-2002: Wendy's Founder Dave Thomas Dies
Tuesday, January 8, 2002
By Debbie Gebolys
Dispatch Business Reporter

Dave Thomas: A Decade of Dave in Advertising, released in early 2000, tells of Thomas' success as Wendy's spokesman.

A millionaire at age 35, Thomas created Wendy's after taking four Columbus Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants from the brink of failure in 1962 to smashing success.

R. David Thomas, founder of Wendy's International and one of corporate America's best-known personalities, died early Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., after a long battle with liver cancer. He was 69.

He had the slow-growing cancer for more than a decade, a company spokesman said.

Thomas, who maintained homes in Upper Arlington, Buckeye Lake and Fort Lauderdale, died after spending more than a half century in the restaurant business.

He was known as the affable, soft-spoken front man for his hamburger chain, an image reinforced by his appearances in Wendy's television commercials for more than a decade. He agreed to appear in "a few" commercials in early 1989. By 1996, Thomas and Wendy's set an advertising milestone with the longest-running advertising campaign featuring a company founder.

"Although Dave was widely popular, he was never very comfortable as a celebrity," said Jack Schuessler, Wendy's chairman and chief executive. "He kept reminding us he was simply a hamburger cook."
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2002 © The Columbus Dispatch.

Dan