'One of our own' Wendy's founder had deep area ties
Pinkhouses1961
taking the death of the franchise founder, Dave Thomas, almost personally,
having come to "know him" through his friendly homespun TV commercials.
"I'm sorry to hear about 'Uncle Dave.' He seemed pleasant and like an uncle
to everybody," said Ron Pendley, a Felts Alarm employee, as he was about to
enjoy his chili around noon in Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers restaurant
at Newburgh.
Often heard was: "He was like one of our own."
Thomas -- founder and senior chairman of Wendy's International who died
around midnight Monday in Florida of liver cancer at age 69 -- was one of
this region's own.
He was raised in Princeton, Ind., just 25 miles north of Evansville, by an
adoptive family after his parents gave him up shortly after he was born.
His natural parents were unable to afford him, they said, because of the
Great Depression.
Thomas, who championed the needs of orphaned children with philanthropic
foundations he created, held a variety of jobs in a former Western Auto
store in Princeton.
When lunch time came, he popped in daily at the nearby Greek's restaurant
and candy shop on the town square for a Coke, a hamburger and a bowl of
chili -- menu items that would one day become his famous trademark.
In a 1993 letter to Lou Andriakos, the current third-generation operator of
Greek's, Thomas wrote: "I have many fond memories of your store, especially
the caramel corn. I'm glad to see that you are carrying on the family
business..."
Thomas also had Evansville ties, having gained his early experience in
marketing and customer service working at the old Mac's Barbecue off Willow
Road.
Josephine Olubummo, a native of Nigeria who is the assistant manager of
Wendy's on U.S. 41 North in Henderson, viewed Thomas as a major role model
and inspiration.
She aspires to own a restaurant franchise in the Tri-state.
She said she met Thomas about two years ago at a Wendy's seminar at the
company's corporate headquarters at Dublin, Ohio, outside Columbus.
"He told us how, 'If you want to become somebody, you have to follow your
dream, work hard and make sure you're doing OK.'
"He said 'Everything is possible, especially in this country.'
"Without him maybe I wouldn't have a job," said Olubummo, who came to
America in 1987 to study business administration. She later settled in
Henderson.
She was stunned by the news of Thomas' death, which she learned of when a
loyal customer phoned the restaurant early Tuesday, saying she felt like she
had lost someone very close.
Bob Ruckriegel, president of Jasper, Ind.-based BR Associates, which
includes 28 Wendy's in Evansville and the Tri-state, knew Thomas personally.
He termed him as "nothing but a people person -- a down-to-earth people
person."
He said Thomas influenced him because of his honesty and integrity. He came
to Jasper to speak at the Boy Scouts' Lincoln Heritage District, where
Ruckriegel received an honor.
"Dave never went any place that you ran into him that he didn't at least
stop and talk with you. He never forgot a name," Ruckriegel said.
After moving away from Princeton, Thomas worked in a Fort Wayne, Ind.,
coffee shop that also sold Kentucky Fried Chicken, said Ruckriegel.
But Col. Harlan Sanders -- another famous fast-food name -- wanted to expose
him more to the business and sent him back to his hometown of Princeton to
manage a KFC restaurant there.
From there, he went to Columbus, Ohio, to operate four Kentucky Fried
Chicken franchies that were doing poorly. Sanders sold those restaurants to
Thomas.
"The colonel pretty well gave Dave the restaurants to keep them running,"
Ruckriegel said.
"And that's where Dave made his first million dollars. He turned the
businesses around and sold them back to Col. Sanders (for $1.5 million in
1968), becoming a millionaire at age 35."
Thomas opened his first Wendy's Old Fashined Hamburgers in Columbus a year
later, naming the business after his 8-year-old daughter Melinda Lou,
nicknamed Wendy by her siblings.
The chain has grown to more than 5,000 restaurants in the United States and
34 other countries.
Thomas never finished high school but received his General Educational
Development (GED) diploma in 1993 from Coconut Creek High School near Fort
Lauderdale, Fla.
He once said in an interview that not finishing high school was his biggest
mistake.
"If I had gotten my high school diploma we might have 8,000 restaurants by
now," he said.
In 1996, Thomas filmed his 500th commercial -- and he was still going strong
until recently.
Doctors believe he had had the liver cancer for at least the past 10 years.
But it wasn't diagnosed until he underwent kidney surgery this past July,
Ruckriegel said.
Robert R. Feigel
<Pinkhou...@aol.com> wrote:
>EVANSVILLE (Indiana) --
>Thomas also had Evansville ties, having gained his early experience in
>marketing and customer service working at the old Mac's Barbecue off Willow
>Road.
>
As a virtual vegetarian since 1968, I can hardly be accused of
SPAMMING. But if I were to start eating red meat again (including
pork, of course), I would grab the next flight back to Evansville and
make a beeline to Mac's. Even now, my mouth waters at the memory of a
mouthful of Mac's Barbecue. Messy but magnificent!
bob <spelled Mac-fully>
"Must gather at leisure what may use in haste." - Charlie Chan
Pinkhouses1961
news:8fgq3u40f49tfboq5...@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 9 Jan 2002 23:56:22 -0600, "Pinkhouses1961"
> <Pinkhou...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> >EVANSVILLE (Indiana) --
>
> >Thomas also had Evansville ties, having gained his early experience in
> >marketing and customer service working at the old Mac's Barbecue off
Willow
> >Road.
> >
>
> As a virtual vegetarian since 1968, I can hardly be accused of
> SPAMMING. But if I were to start eating red meat again (including
> pork, of course), I would grab the next flight back to Evansville and
> make a beeline to Mac's. Even now, my mouth waters at the memory of a
> mouthful of Mac's Barbecue. Messy but magnificent!
:( the famous Mac's is no more, took the slow dive...to finally closing.
Relocated from Willow to South Greenriver road, along the way, turnovers in
owners/management. The last owners being indicted on some nasty state tax
related charges (tax evasion, about $40,000 dollars worth IIRC). That was
just a few years back, doors closed, and haven't opend back up since. Sadly,
at the time, was not a great loss...the *Real* Mac's was gone long before.
You'll have to come on over to my side of the river (Ky) for the good
stuff...Hickory Pit or Moonlight at Owensboro, Peak's in Morganfield etc...
Robert R. Feigel
So ... Mac's is no more. Sad.
Last time I visited E'town I made an exception and enjoyed some
homemade Barbecue made by one of my sisters-in-law. It was very, very
good, but lacked that deep smokey taste that only real smoke can
deliver.
Next time I'm back that way I will make a point of cruising over the
bridge to Owensboro to check out the Hickory Pit or the Moonlight.
BTW - one of my grandfather's built Dade Park raceway, way back when.
Is it still up and running?
bob <spelled Maclessly)
"When prepared for worse can hope for best." - Charlie Chan
Robert R. Feigel
>BTW - one of my grandfather's built Dade Park raceway, way back when.
>Is it still up and running?
>
Before the old boy rolls over in his grave, I meant 'Dade Park race
track."
bob <spelled forgetfully>
"It is fool in a hurry who drink tea with fork." - Charlie Chan
Pinkhouses1961
[snip]
> So ... Mac's is no more. Sad.
>
> Last time I visited E'town I made an exception and enjoyed some
> homemade Barbecue made by one of my sisters-in-law. It was very, very
> good, but lacked that deep smokey taste that only real smoke can
> deliver.
>
> Next time I'm back that way I will make a point of cruising over the
> bridge to Owensboro to check out the Hickory Pit or the Moonlight.
>
> BTW - one of my grandfather's built Dade Park raceway, way back when.
> Is it still up and running?
Both of them (Hickory Pit and Moonlite) have been in business many years,
family owned and operated. Hickory Pit is small (only in size, not in
quality), Moonlite is huge...but has not lost its down home, original
quality and atmosphere. It is a toss-up on which one is best, just your
personal taste. If you ever do make the trip to Owensboro, indulge, try
them both, you will not be sorry...do Hickory at dinner (lunch time for you
non-southerners), then do the buffet at Moonlite for supper. Plenty of stuff
to do to keep you busy between the meals there in Owensboro.
good reading...lol...will probably make you hungry, sorry...
http://www.moonlite.com/restaurant.htm
I don't think Hickory pit has a website.
We are very tradtional here at this house...barbecue mutton is our favorite,
closely followed by pork/ribs. I had to make runs for take-out from Moonlite
over the latest holidays. Immediate family home, and they just _had_ to have
their barbecue fix. So, the day after Thanksgiving and xmas, I accommadated
those native West Kentuckian family members now living in Texas and South
Carolina. When they come home it is always a "must have".
Dade Park is now Ellis Park, called the "Pea Patch" for the soybean crop
usually grown in the infield. Ellis is now owned by Churchill Downs. Major
improvements were made in spring 2000, and since your grandfather built
it...something you might have been interested in, if you had know ( I don't
know if any of the seats are still available). The old wooden grandstand
seats, originally put in place in 1922, were made available to the public, a
pair for 25.00, and all proceeds of sales went to the United Way.They were
the nice old ones with the backs, nostalgia pieces...great in the house, or
the garden. I got two pairs.
Here is a neat related story (from a post I made at the time to a horse
racing group).
"...Remember my posting awhile back, of the announcement on my local news.
The selling of the original(1922) Ellis Park grandstand seats for charity,
due to the reconstruction. I have been checking, because at that time-they
weren't available just yet. They allow one to go in and pick the actual
seats you want, then remove them for you-you take them home. The 25.00 a
pair goes to United Way.
Tonight on the news, they had the neatest story. A couple had went in today
and picked out the same two seats they were sitting in nearly 40 years ago.
She had went to the track that day with her brother. The man sitting next to
her, and whom she met for the very first time that day, eventually became
her husband. They have now been married 37+ years. They have a nice little
personal garden/park like area on their land, and will be placing the pair
of seats there.
I just thought this was a nice "track related" human interest story. They
did look so happy with them seats loaded up in their vehicle..."
Robert R. Feigel
<Pinkhou...@aol.com> wrote:
>"Robert R. Feigel" <rrfe...@notmail.con> wrote in message
>
>[snip]
>
>> So ... Mac's is no more. Sad.
>>
>> Last time I visited E'town I made an exception and enjoyed some
>> homemade Barbecue made by one of my sisters-in-law. It was very, very
>> good, but lacked that deep smokey taste that only real smoke can
>> deliver.
>>
>> Next time I'm back that way I will make a point of cruising over the
>> bridge to Owensboro to check out the Hickory Pit or the Moonlight.
>>
>> BTW - one of my grandfather's built Dade Park raceway, way back when.
>> Is it still up and running?
>
<snipped, mouth watering!>
>
>Dade Park is now Ellis Park, called the "Pea Patch" for the soybean crop
>usually grown in the infield. Ellis is now owned by Churchill Downs. Major
>improvements were made in spring 2000, and since your grandfather built
>it...something you might have been interested in, if you had know ( I don't
>know if any of the seats are still available). The old wooden grandstand
>seats, originally put in place in 1922, were made available to the public, a
>pair for 25.00, and all proceeds of sales went to the United Way.They were
>the nice old ones with the backs, nostalgia pieces...great in the house, or
>the garden. I got two pairs.
>
>Here is a neat related story (from a post I made at the time to a horse
>racing group).
>
>"...Remember my posting awhile back, of the announcement on my local news.
>The selling of the original(1922) Ellis Park grandstand seats for charity,
>due to the reconstruction. I have been checking, because at that time-they
>weren't available just yet. They allow one to go in and pick the actual
>seats you want, then remove them for you-you take them home. The 25.00 a
>pair goes to United Way.
>
Thank you for the Barbecue pointers and for the Dade Park update.
My late father would have been very pleased that the proceeds from the
sale of the seats went to a good cause. He helped introduce the United
Way concept to Evansville and calm troubled waters between various
charities that saw it as a threat at the time. He also served as chair
during the early years and was a very active supporter.
BTW - my stepbrother played the horses at Dade Park during his
University breaks and made a small fortune. Whereas I never got a
penny for having developed an unfailing talent for picking the last
horse in every race. Doesn't seem fair ...
bob <spelled unfailingly>
"What a fine comedy this world would be if one did not play a part in it!" - Diderot