Wendy’s logo, featuring a cheerful girl with brown pigtails, is one of the most recognizable symbols among American fast-food chains.
However, not everyone may realize that the girl depicted is Wendy Thomas Morse, the daughter of the restaurant’s founder, Dave Thomas.
Wendy was only eight years old when her father decided to name his new restaurant venture after one of his five children.
Ultimately, Wendy was chosen, and pictures from a photoshoot display her with the distinctive pigtails and the gingham dress that became part of the iconic logo.
The restaurant grew to be incredibly successful, and Wendy’s image was featured prominently wherever new franchises opened.
This fame brought its own set of challenges for Wendy.
In a conversation with PEOPLE, Wendy shared that it was sometimes hard to reveal her connection to the brand, given her fame.
“I mean, there were times I didn’t want people to know because I didn’t want them to have assumptions,” she explained.
Beyond that, Wendy felt a significant sense of duty concerning the business that bore her name.
“But it was something I really took on as a responsibility and just was very proud,” she continued. “But I would never, if I met a lot of new people, I would never tell them who I was. It’s usually someone else that says it. And then it gets awkward and then it gets all better.”
Wendy even mentioned that her father later regretted naming the restaurant after her due to the impact it had on her life.
“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,’ which was really… to hear your father say, ‘Probably should just named it Dave’s and that’d been a lot easier,’ was a lot,” she recounted.
Although she didn’t blame her father, Wendy felt relieved that he recognized the burden it placed on her.
“And I said, ‘Well, of course, but that’s a long time ago.’ But 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,” she reflected.
Since her father’s passing, Wendy finds a sense of solace in the brand’s emblem.
“That was just a really cool moment for me and my dad,” she reflected. “So it just keeps me going. And today, I look at the sign and I just see my dad.”