Why Are Wendy’s Burgers Square? Blame Dave Thomas’ Grandma

Always listen to your grandmother. That’s the takeaway we’re getting from the story of how Wendy’s iconic square burger patties came to be.

At its launch in 1969, Wendy’s attempted to set itself apart from other burger chains by forgoing the traditional circle burger patties for one that kept all four corners, but why?

Thrillist reports that the creation of the square patties comes down to two things: quality of the meat, and an ideal instilled in Dave Thomas from his grandmother.

Thomas’ grandmother Minnie often told him “not to cut corners.” That phrase took on a literal sense when he opened Wendy’s and included corners on his burgers.

“That’s a message Dave Thomas wanted to instill throughout the company so it’s definitely symbolic,” Frank Vamos, director of brand communications for the company, tells Thrillist.

The square burgers were also Thomas’ way of showing that he was proud of his product.

“Another big reason is that Dave was always very confident in the quality of our meat,” Vamos said, noting that to showcase that aspect he made sure everyone could see the meat, in all its juicy glory, outside of the bun.

There’s Actually A Damn Good Reason Wendy’s Burgers Are Square [Thrillist]