R. David Thomas and Wendy's: Classic Entrepreneurship (Cases) (Company Overview‪)‬

HISTORY R. David Thomas had an idea. He knew Americans love hamburgers. If he could develop a hamburger better than those currently offered, he believed he could use it to establish a leadership position in the competitive fast-food hamburger market. A high school dropout that found success as an Army cook, R. David Thomas loved to cook fresh hamburgers. But he detoured into chicken after the Army, where one of his early jobs was helping Mr. Harland Sanders selling chicken recipes and utensils to restaurants in the southeast. Not long after teaming with Kentucky's John Y. Brown, Mr. Sanders became "Colonel Sanders" and KFC was born. Thomas returned to Columbus, Ohio, where he became a successful KFC franchisee in the 1960s.