Wendy’s introduced the Frosty dessert when its first restaurant opened in 1969.
Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s in Columbus, Ohio, opening the first location on November 15, 1969. The menu included square hamburgers, french fries, chili and the Frosty, a thick frozen dairy dessert designed to accompany the restaurant’s food.
The Frosty was originally offered in chocolate. Wendy’s later added a vanilla version, but the dessert’s consistency remained central to its identity: it was thicker than a milkshake and softer than conventional hard ice cream.
The chain was named for Wendy Thomas, Dave Thomas’s daughter. That detail distinguishes Wendy’s from many restaurant brands named after founders, locations or products. Wendy’s grew through franchising and company-operated restaurants, becoming one of the best-known hamburger chains in the United States.