Wendy's Closes Its Original Restaurant
The very first Wendy's restaurant, opened by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio 37 years ago, closed its doors for the last time Friday. Making only half of what the average Wendy's pulled in a year, "the restaurant fell victim to tight parking and sparse dinner or weekend business in a downtown that largely shuts down after 5 p.m. despite the city's efforts to increase housing and entertainment options. The move eight years ago of the city's popular science museum from across the street to bigger digs a mile away probably sealed the restaurant's fate."
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3 Comments:
Having eaten in that location regularly throughout my childhood in Columbus, this is a great tragedy. They had already converted half of it into a Tim Horton's a few years back - but this is far worse.
Here's the Columbus Dispatch article.
Over the years, there was never much attention drawn to it. I think the only indication that it was the first Wendy's was a small plaque hung on the wall inside. But every resident of Columbus knew, and would brag about it to out-of-town visitors whenever possible.
"That's the first Wendy's ever, you know."
"Right there?"
"Yeah."
"No way."
Now Columbus is losing one of the greatest things it could brag about to snobby New Yorkers. It's a shame.
Marco at 10:40AM on 03/07/07
I'm also from columbus.. when I was working as a temp during one summer in high school, I'd eat there often, and it was usually packed from the downtown crowd. strange that it wasn't doing so well.
I also remember how we'd always stop for lunch there when I visited the original COSI as a kid. it was like both of them were landmarks in columbus, because groups of people would be streaming in and out of both buildings.
monkeypox at 12:05PM on 03/07/07
Me too - the standard COSI kid field trip always ended in a trip to Wendy's across the street. They point to COSI's relocation as a key reason why that location's business dropped off. It makes sense - most of that area of downtown Columbus has been gutted in the last decade, so I can understand why there aren't many customers anymore.
But still... it's historic. A Dispatch editorial suggested turning it into a museum - that seems appropriate, although a Wendy's museum would be far more effective if you could get a sandwich at the end.
Marco at 12:17PM on 03/07/07