Original Wendy's Location To Close

[The Straight Story]

Original Wendy's Location To Close
Feb 24 2007 12:14AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Wendy's International Inc. said Friday it will reluctantly close the downtown restaurant where the nation's third-largest hamburger chain began in 1969 because of sagging sales.

The iconic restaurant, which is filled with memorabilia and photographs of late Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, will close its doors at the end of business next Friday, company spokesman Denny Lynch said.

"This is a very difficult decision, but the truth is we kept it open for sentimental reasons much longer than we should have," Lynch said.

Thomas, who died in 2002 of liver cancer, opened his first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers on Nov. 15, 1969. He named the restaurant after his 8-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, nicknamed Wendy by her siblings. He later became a nationally known figure as a Wendy's pitchman in television commercials.

But the original restaurant, located just a few blocks from the Ohio Statehouse, is unable to generate sales at night or on the weekend, when government office buildings are closed, Lynch said.

http://www.10tv.com/?sec=&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200702/869664808.html

Been there many times over the years, sad to see a piece of history being lost.

[Tulum_Moon]

1. How sad.

This is happening more and more these days. I cant wait till 08. Things will start to turn around then.

[sellitman]

2. Wendy's is actively Anti -Gay (They can close the whole chain as far as I care)

Actively Anti-Gay
These companies actively promote bigotry towards gays, either in their internal policies, or publically by giving money to hate groups or promoting bigotry in other ways. Boycott these companies and encourage others to do the same. Oppose their expansion if they come to your town. In short, these are the real bad guys.

>snip> Wendys: Fast food restaurant chain owned by Dave Thomas. Pulled ads from all future episodes of "Ellen." Additionally, a reader commented, "Just to let you know, ol' Mr. Thomas has been on Pat Robertson's propaganda show a number of times, mainly to speak on his adoption and support of it. He had also publicly stated his admiration of Pat and his agenda..." However, someone else pointed out the Wendy's supposedly has an anti-discrimination policy covering gays.



More: http://www.turnleft.com/out/boycott.html

[The Straight Story]

3. Dave Thomas is dead

Company has changed a lot since then.

[sellitman]

4. How so?

Not that I eat fast food anyhow.

[The Straight Story]

5. From out and equal (from 2006)

Equality Project Coalition Applauds Wendy's International Gay/Lesbian, Transgender Inclusive Employment Policy


“The good news from Wendy’s proves once again that building coalitions around the Equality Principles is a strategy that works and deserves support. This is how we’ll win at ExxonMobil.”

Grant Lukenbill, Managing Director – Equality Project


“Now I can have a double with cheese again without feeling guilty. It’s clear that Wendy’s wants all Americans to be treated fairly regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. My congratulations to them for making workplace fairness job one.”

Melissa Sklarz, Co-Chair – Equality Project

Wendy's
May 3, 2006—The Equality Project, a consumer, employee and investor coalition, announced today that Wendy’s International, Dublin, OH, has agreed to amend its employment nondiscrimination policy by adding new written protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity for all employees.

In addition, the Equality Project, along with 19 national GLBT organizations called on ExxonMobil, Dallas, TX, to abandon its eight-year anti-gay stance of refusing to reinstate the words sexual orientation into its written employee nondiscrimination policy following its merger with Mobil Corporation in 1999. The organization also reminded shareholders of ExxonMobil stock to vote their shares in an upcoming resolution brought by New York City Employees Retirement Fund (NYCERS) calling on the company to amend its written employment policy.

At Wendy’s International, the change in official workplace policy was brought about through a NYCERS shareholder resolution filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as requested earlier by the Equality Project. NYCERS has now agreed to withdraw that resolution.

Last week, a spokesperson for Wendy’s International confirmed for the Equality Project that the company’s new written employee nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policy will now include the words sexual orientation and gender identity.

http://www.outandequal.org/news/headlines/Wendys_news.asp

[Arugula Latte]

7. I hope ol' Dave just flipped in his grave ...

not unlike a square-shaped burger on a grill.

[sellitman]

11. Good to see.

I wonder who they back in the elections though?

[rsmith6621]

8. Didnt Dave Love

Jesus and his biz plan was based on WWJD???

[yardwork]

6. Dave Thomas wasn't such a nice guy

Thomas was a close business buddy to Governor Rhodes, the Nixon crony who, as governor of Ohio, sent the National Guard to Kent State - that National Guard that killed four unarmed students and wounded others. Rhodes had a lot of filthy business deals going on - some of which involved Dave Thomas.

[Lorien]

9. I worked there back in the 80's

just another part time job to help me get through school. Sad to see it close even though I don't eat fast food anymore.

[Greyhound]

10. Another victim of the tyranny of the MBA's.

When it was opened, it was successful because it was good. They made a tasty burger and sold it for a reasonable price. Remember the original advertising for Wendy's fresh and juicy hamburgers? Never frozen, made to order. Made a ton of money, opened more and more, then went national as a brand built on quality.

Then come the "big business gurus", the professional management class, that "knows" how to operate large businesses, virtually all of them MBA's, a degree BTW for those to lazy or intellectually-challenged to actually become accountants, that immediately abandon the principles that made the business in the first place, in favor of short-term profits and enhancement of the stock price and investor dividends. Of course, they never forget to take more and more out of the company for themselves and their college buddies, consistently replacing all of the people responsible for the companies growth in the first place.

Fast forward a few years and, guess what, it's just another corporate clone, a model of mediocrity inspiring nothing and doing nothing well. Congratulations to a job.

[B Calm]

12. Their hamburgers suck anyway! The only thing I like is their Frosty.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

13. A lot of them have closed down here in OK City.

They were just dirty and gross places. I'd never want to eat in one of them. It's really sad because I heard on a Food Network special about Wendy's that Dave was always obsessed with his restaurants being clean and sanitary. I'd rather go to Sonic any day.
Duckie