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17 Photos That Show Vintage Wendy’s Was The Best

This is where I am mentally:

Wendy's Sunroom

Given that reality, let’s take a minute and stroll down memory lane for a look at Wendy’s and its long relationship with Columbus.

First of all, here’s how these solariums looked from the outside (a somewhat modern example):

Wendy's Solarium
Credit: WikiCommons

Who remembers the original location located in downtown Columbus, across the street from COSI?

Sign for Wendy's original location
Credit: Joe Ross – The first Wendy’s 7-15-2006 (1) CC BY-SA 2.0

A sight for sore eyes:

Original Wendy's exterior
Credit: Joe Ross – The first Wendy’s 7-15-2006 CC BY-SA 2.0

Those newspaper tables!

Original Wendy's Interior
Credit: Joe Ross – The first Wendy’s 7-15-2006 (2) CC BY-SA 2.0

Unfortunately the original Wendy’s closed in 2007 (but it lives forever in our hearts.) This photo was taken on the last day of operation:

First Wendy's location on its last day in operation

The message to customers on the final day:

The message to customers on the original Wendy's final day

Historical sites get historical markers:

First Wendy's location historical marker
Credit: WikiCommons

The flagship Wendy’s in Dublin, Ohio is a great place to go today to take in some Wendy’s history:

Flagship Wendy's in Dublin, Ohio

And when we’re talking about Wendy’s history, there’s a whole lot. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger repping the brand back in the ’70’s.

Arnold eating a burger in a 1970's Wendy's ad

The eternal question

And the answer – Arnold found the beef!

Arnold flexing in '70s Wendy's ad

Remember Wendy’s salad bars?

Wendy's salad bar explainer with graphics

Does anyone remember these animated ads from the ’70’s?

Did yellow Wendy’s hit a little different?

Yellow Wendy's

The yellow Wendy’s design is like stepping into a time machine:

Old fashioned yellow Wendy's plus vintage cars

Some are even alive through today! This location is in Fairfax, Virginia: