Dave's 5 Values
1. Quality is Our Recipe
Dave loved people and he loved restaurants. And he was passionate about quality.
When he talked about quality, it wasn’t just the food served at Wendy’s. Quality meant
everything to Dave. His passion was so strong that he made “Quality Is Our Recipe” a
permanent part of Wendy’s logo.
Dave liked to say that Wendy’s hamburgers were square because “we don’t cut corners.”
That simple saying underscored his belief that quality always comes first. When you
passionately believe in quality, as Dave did, it becomes part of your everyday life – in
how you work; how you treat your customers and your staff; and how you live your
personal life.
He believed that at Wendy’s everyone should have an MBA – a “Mop Bucket Attitude”
and that we should all treat every customer as if our jobs depended on it – because
they do!”
2. Do the Right Thing
Dave lived his life with honesty and integrity. He was a man of his word, and he believed
that if you say you’re going to do something, do it. He considered personal integrity to be
the most important value one can have.
He taught us that it wasn’t really that hard to make a tough decision. Examine the
situation, especially a difficult one, and simply choose to do the right thing.
Doing the right thing is the best choice because you earn your reputation by the things
you do every day.
He knew that the reason many people make the wrong decision is because they try to take
a short cut that might save time and money. Dave, though, would say you’d probably lose
in the long run. When faced with a choice, how do you know the right thing to do? Talk
to people you respect and trust your instincts. Dave often sought advice from people he
admired, then made the best decision based on their insights and his instincts.
Dave practiced what he preached and was honest about the mistakes he made in his life.
And one that really bothered him was his decision to drop out of school at age 15 to
work full-time. It took him 45 years to do it, but he went back to school and got his
GED diploma. He knew that was the right thing to do. And his classmates voted him
“Most Likely to Succeed.” Dave Thomas Biography 6
3. Treat People with Respect
Dave lived by the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. He simplified
this by saying, Just Be Nice.
Dave loved quality … and he loved people. To Dave, being nice meant talking to people
honestly. It might mean telling them news they may not want to hear. But he knew that if
you treat them with respect and dignity they are more likely to accept what you have to
say. Being nice also means being a good listener. It’s a sign of respect, and you’ll learn
more by listening, he would always say.
Through his television commercials, Dave became an American icon. He met presidents,
sports superstars and celebrities, and he could relate to anyone, regardless of background
or occupation. He was most comfortable behind the grill — in his trademark white,
short-sleeve shirt and bright red tie – talking to the crew. He was always friendly and
respectful. He mentioned their name and gave them a lapel pin. It may seem simple,
but being respectful and treating others like you want to be treated will be returned to
you again and again.
4. Profiflt is Not a Dirty Word
There’s nothing wrong with making a profit and taking pride in your success. To Dave,
profit in business meant growth and opportunities. It also meant being able to share your
success with your team and your community.
When you take care of your business — through hard work, a focus on quality and
taking care of your customers — your business will take care of you. Dave overcame
tremendous obstacles in his life, growing up as an orphan who never knew his birth
parents. He believed that America was the greatest country in the world because, “You
can be whatever you want to be within the laws of God and man.”
He believed that teamwork was the key to success. Dave liked to say, “There’s no ‘I’ in
Wendy’s. The first two letters are WE.” He believed everyone has a role to play and every
person is important. He believed leaders should give their people the tools they need to do
their job, motivate them, and then trust them to get the job done.
Dave wanted everyone to have a chance to succeed, and he created opportunities for
thousands of people to be successful. Dave wanted to share his success with others, to
give everyone a piece of the pie. And if there wasn’t enough to go around, he’d make
a bigger pie.
5. Giving Back
Dave believed everyone has a responsibility to give something back — to help those who
can’t help themselves. Giving back doesn’t simply mean giving money to charities. It also
means giving your time or sharing your special skills.
What do you have to offer? Energy and enthusiasm? A unique talent? There are hundreds
of organizations that need passionate volunteers. Dave believed the more you give, the
more you get in return. Dave Thomas Biography 7
Mentoring — sharing your experiences with someone — was one of Dave’s favorite
ways to give back. He credited several mentors in his life for making him successful.
Dave said he didn’t wait for them to take him under their wing. He found people he
respected professionally and personally and crawled under their wing. He absorbed their
knowledge, put it to work, then later mentored others interested in learning from him.
Dave was a national advocate for adoption, a cause very close to his heart. Adopted as a
child, Dave believed every youngster deserves a permanent home and loving family. His
passion led to the creation of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, dedicated to
dramatically increasing the number of adoptions in North America. Dave said if just one
child got adopted, all the effort would be worth it.