Wendy’s introduced the Frosty frozen dairy dessert when the chain opened in 1969.
Dave Thomas developed the dessert as a thick, cold treat designed to be eaten with a spoon. Its texture sits between a milkshake and soft ice cream, which helped make it distinct from ordinary shakes.
The original Frosty was chocolate-flavored. Wendy’s later added other flavors and variations, but chocolate remains the product most closely associated with the name.
The Frosty is often described casually as a milkshake, but Wendy’s treats it as a separate frozen dessert category. Its formula and consistency are central to the product’s identity.