Wendy Thomas Reflects on Legacy of Dave’s Hamburger Franchise

Columbus, Ohio – Wendy Thomas Morse, the namesake of the famous hamburger chain Wendy’s, opened up about her experiences as a franchisee and daughter of founder Dave Thomas. The interview, published in PEOPLE on November 24, 2025, highlights her journey since her father launched the brand when she was just 8 years old.

Wendy shared her initial reluctance to embrace her family’s fast-food legacy, explaining that during her teenage years, she wanted to keep her connection to Wendy’s a secret. She recalled, ‘I mean, there were times I didn’t want people to know because I didn’t want them to have assumptions and like not… I guess my assumption was that they wouldn’t think I was cool or hip or whatever at the time.’

Through the years, however, Wendy has come to appreciate her role in the brand. ‘I don’t know where their brains go, but I think they think that there’s a pot of gold behind that,’ she laughed, acknowledging the public’s fascination. She expressed pride in representing Wendy’s, saying, ‘I try to represent it well.’

Wendy also revealed a touching moment with her father before his death. ‘Probably 10 years before my dad passed, we talked about my name and namesake, and he just goes, ‘I’m really sorry I did that to you.’ That was a lot to hear,’ she recounted. ‘It was just nice to hear that he felt for me a little bit, like the pressure and the responsibility of being the namesake of a restaurant.’

Today, Wendy honors her father’s legacy by sticking to his principles of quality service. ‘I just see my dad. He always just wanted to serve quality hamburgers — fresh, never frozen beef — and just really good products and have customer service be friendly and have a clean restaurant,’ she noted. ‘That’s why we’re trying to do it Dave’s way, every day. I hope he knows that.’