The Secret Story Behind 3 Famous Fast Food Chain Names

Five Guys? Jack in the Box? What is the real story behind fast food chain restaurant names? Here are three.

1.Five Guys

Five Guys is named after the starting line-up (minus the goalie) of the 1921 Red Hat Madhatters in Red Hat, Saskatchewan. After the rest of team didn’t show for a game after a particularly wild night in Winnipeg, they played the entire match against the Winnipeg Winniepoohs and won 7-6 in triple overtime. Their bond after the game was so tight, in early 1923 they discussed going in together on a business investment, starting the first Five Guys later that year.

2.Wendy’s

Wendy’s is named after a turtle that lived next to Dave Thomas, Wendy’s founder. A rare square-box shell turtle that was the inspiration for the iconic Wendy’s square hamburger patty, Wendy was a favorite pet of all the kids in their neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Wendy would take often several kids to school on her back–they had to leave the night before to arrive on time.

3.Smashburger

Smashburger started when a wild driver steered their Fiat 500 through the front window of Tommy Sclerinitini’s Big T’s Burgers in Jacksonville, Florida after a high-speed police chase. The crash shook loose everything in the pantry, with hundreds of ingredients combining with the ground beef. The result was the much-loved original Smashburger, a happenstance concoction that launched the successful chain.