WENDY'S

While Wendy's has never been the most memorable of fast food restaurants growing up (that of course went to McDonald's), Wendy's still ranks up there, with iconic architecture and still having things like kids' meals.

In fact, Wendy's was probably more seen on trips than what I ate at when I was home...at least before around January 2005 when a new restaurant opened near me (and for a time was the closest fast food to my house).

Wendy's was founded by Dave Thomas back in 1969 and until its sale to Triarc Companies in 2008 was one of the few independent major fast food companies that never saw a larger corporate owner. I've had someone tell me the death of founder (and star of most of the commercials) Dave Thomas in 2002 effectively end Wendy's as a slightly more upmarket fast food competitor to other choices like McDonald's and Burger King. There's not a lot I can say about Wendy's or its menu items. Most of their promotional items were few and far between, and forgettable. I don't even remember their "ciabatta sandwiches" all that well, and I only vaguely when the Baconator was released. I do remember the Vanilla Frosty much better, though. It was sort of a big deal...they had inflatables on a few Wendy's restaurants back in November 2006...with a white-colored Frosty! Seems odd that it took until 2006 to have what was in essence a vanilla milkshake but we'll let it slide.

What we have here in this new page (besides a somewhat outdated "former restaurant" list) is a 1995 Nutrition Guide that shows the salad bar ingredients! At this time, beyond the salad bar there was only a very basic hamburger menu, chili, and a baked potato. Here, it's known as the "Garden Spot". For an even briefer time, some stores had the "Superbar" which added Mexican and Italian items.

While I do intend adding the full guide someday I'll just add the actual ingredient list. The exception is on the main side where they list the burger menu.

Ingredients 1
Ingredients 2
Hamburgers

A lot of the stuff on there is just stock, pre-made ingredients. I remember that banana-and-strawberry glaze from another place, possibly Golden Corral or a Chinese buffet or maybe even Gattiland from many years ago. However, I also know that even if everything is pre-made, it adds a ton of labor costs to the operation. I have worked in foodservice (pizza specifically) and cleaning out ingredient bins is just cumbersome. Everything has little food bits stuck to it. The ham had juice collecting in the bottom, the bacon is horrifically greasy, and the mushrooms will smell like death if they aren't cleaned out.

Self-serve salad bars in particular were known even in the late 1990s for harboring bacteria, and in 2020, panic over health concerns wiped out struggling buffet chains like Ryan's and Sweet Tomatoes. (As a general rule, I find buffets disgusting.)

The list below is of former locations in Texas. It is a bit outdated and won't be updated but I'm still leaving it here.

CityAddressNotes
Alice1305 East Main StreetOpened ~1979. Now Taqueria Jalisco #6
Arlington3101 East Division StreetNow The Spot Bar
4391 Little Road* Originally Catfish King (for a few years), became Wendy's sometime around the mid/late 1980s, closed in August 1997. Torn down for Burger King (now Taco Casa).
* A newspaper article from August 1997 refers to a bank pre-dating Wendy's, but Catfish King was in its place during that supposed time and no address or proof has been found of a bank in that space according to current research.
1050 NE Green Oaks Blvd.Opened late 1990s and closed around 2013/2014. Now Pollo Regio
Austin6903 Airport Blvd.Now Taqueria Los Jaliscienses
9813 N. Lamar Blvd.Closed ~2013. Now Brident Dental & Orthodontics
3701 S. Lamar Blvd.Torn down for In-N-Out Burger
Baytown308 N. Alexander DriveNow Hartz Chicken Buffet
Brownsville2335 Boca Chica Blvd.Opened in 1979, closed in 2013. Now Popeyes.
4385 N. Expressway 77/83Closed around the early-mid 2010's. Now Arby's.
Bryan3216 Texas Avenue S.Now Loan Star. Restaurant closed 2005-2006.
Bulverde33889 US Hwy. 281 N.Opened ~2009 in former Taco Bell. Closed early 2020
College Station2052 Holleman Drive West (inside Shell)Closed in or around 9/30/20 (when the station was a Sunoco), now Burger Mojo.
Conroe1203 N. Frazier StreetNow Church's Chicken.
Corpus Christi5858 South Padre Island Drive #109 (inside Sunrise Mall)Closed in late 2000s (mall has since closed).
5606 Everhart RoadOpened in 1979. Now Taqueria La Tapatia.
Dallas14115 S. Coit Rd.Closed before 2011. Now Church's Chicken
7932 S. Great Trinity Forest WayClosed before 2015. Now Williams Chicken
Edinburg2111 West University DriveClosed in 2016, later Slim Chickens. Currently vacant.
Fort Worth3400 Brandon LaneClosed around 2012/2013. Now Lisa's Chicken & Seafood
350 Blue Mound RoadClosed in the late 2010's. Now Lisa's Chicken & Seafood
6440 North FreewayClosed in 2018. Now Lisa's Chicken & Seafood
Garland2319 W. Walnut St.Closed around 2014/2015. Now La Pullita Pollos
4535 W. Walnut St.Now My Canh Restaurant
Harlingen1501 E. Harrison AvenueOpened in 1985. Now Taqueria La Mexicana
Houston1303 Westheimer RoadClosed 2012, extensively renovated into Doc's Motorworks Bar & Grill (opened 11/14 and closed 12/17). Now "sweetgreen".
2300 Westheimer Rd.Currently 60 Degrees, extensively remodeled
10966 Grant RoadNow Playa Azul Seafood & Oyster Bar at least since 2007
11381 Airline DriveClosed in the 1990s, now Las Banderas Carniceria Y Rest.
1332 Crosstimbers Street80s one with a solarium that closed in 2013. Now a car title loan.
2231 S. Voss Rd.Currently Mancuso's Italian Table
6137 S. Loop 610Closed late 2000s, demolished spring 2015
5611 Bellaire Blvd.Torn down 2004-2005, now a strip center
4701 Main StreetClosed in the early 2010s, currently vacant
Greenspoint MallUnknown closure
3929 N. McCarty StreetTorn down 2015-2016
16402 El Camino RealMoved to 16500 when strip center was redeveloped in late 1990s/early 2000s (old Wendy's now site of Kroger)
376 Uvalde RoadClosed between May 2017 and October 2018
2803 Cullen Blvd.Demolished in the early 2000s for soccer fields for University of Houston
2348 West Holcombe Blvd.Torn down 2006-2007 for The Bank of River Oaks (now PlainsCapital Bank)
902 Federal RoadLater Taqueria Tepatitlan and Las Ranas; currently Carnitas Taco Company
620 South Hwy. 6As of 2008, this was Royal Collision Center, then as of 2014 became Tint World, then closed by 2018.
6800 Harrisburg Blvd.Later Banco Popular (2007), Prosperity Bank, and now BB&T. Prosperity and Banco used original Wendy's sign.
6410 Antoine DriveHas been "Thang's Cajun Seafood & Rice" since at least 2007
2427 FM 1960 WestLater Logan Farms Honey Hams Market Cafe. Currently vacant.
Irving110 W. Airport Fwy.Closed between 2008 and 2011, now "Country Cafe", shared building with lobby for Budget Lodge (now Magnuson Hotel).
Jersey Village16055 Northwest FreewayTorn down for rebuilding the US-290/Beltway 8 interchange (closed 2012, razed 2013)
Lake Worth6105 Lake Worth Blvd.Now Taco Casa
Laredo2602 S. Zapata Hwy.Closed around 2016/2017. Now KFC
Lubbock1717 50th StreetNow Whataburger
McAllen4100 N. 10th StreetClosed ~2008. Now Jimmy's Egg
1201 N. 10th StreetMoved to 4100. Now Muelle 37
North Richland Hills7835 Boulevard 26Closed around the late 2000's. Now Digestive Health Associates Of Texas
Portland1105 W. US Hwy. 181Torn down for Walgreens
Richardson1545 E. Belt Line RoadNow Quizno's
Round Rock720 Round Rock AvenueTorn down in 2018
San Angelo1830 N. Bryant Blvd.Whataburger since 1999
San Antonio5050 Walzem RoadNow Benny's Tacos (Wendy's closed before 2011)
8814 Perrin Beitel RoadClosed in 2013. Now Taqueria La Tapatia
2446 Nacogdoches RoadClosed in 2013. Currently vacant
5701 Bandera RoadNow X Nation Auto Group
5730 Babcock RoadClosed in 2014. Now Tia's Taco Hut
4424 Rittiman RoadClosed in 2009, later Subway. Currently vacant
15337 San Pedro AvenueLater Juicer Heroes. Currently vacant
Sherman3301 Texoma Pkwy.Now Cielito Lindo
Spring4906 Louetta RoadNow La Hija De La Tostada Mexican Grill
Temple301 North General Bruce DriveClosed mid-2010s, replacement restaurant Tapa Tapa's opened in late 2019 or January 2020.
Universal City405 Pat Booker RoadClosed in 2014. Now Benny's Tacos
Victoria1108 East Rio Grande StreetNow EZPAWN
4601 N. Navarro StreetNow Schlotzsky's
Vidor540 North Main StreetNow Whataburger
Waco6001 West Waco Drive Ste. 107 (inside Richland Mall)Operated from 1994 to 2014
Weslaco1001 Texas Blvd. N.Closed in 2013. Now Loan Star Title Loans

Thanks to purpledevil and sevfiv from the HAIF, as well as STR.


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