Why Exactly Are Wendy's Burgers Square?

Wendy's might not have invented the drive-thru, but it did offer them before rivals Burger King and McDonald's (same with the first value menu). It might not have originated square burger patties, either (that distinction goes to White Castle), but those meaty quadrilaterals have certainly become part of the chain's lore. It's a unique-enough experience to set Wendy's apart from its major fast food competition, who all feature round burger patties. But why did Wendy's start serving up its fresh, never-frozen beef in squares?

It all goes back to founder Dave Thomas's grandmother, Minnie, who taught her grandson the lesson that you should never cut corners. Thomas bore that in mind when he was creating Wendy's signature burgers, opting for squares so that part of the patty would hang over the buns. That, in Thomas's mind, signified that the chain had nothing to hide as far as their fresh beef went — a little bit of it would always be visible to customers.

Wendy's could have fallen in line with other fast food burger chains and made the switch from square to round beef patties. In fact, the chain looked into making the swap in the late 2000s after focus groups thought the square shape made the patty look a little too manufactured for their tastes. Instead, Wendy's executives settled on a ridged (but still basically square) patty with a more natural silhouette, because, ultimately, they were not about to forego 42 years of Wendy's tradition.

Indeed, Wendy's has built its reputation on the square patties, leading with their beef in marketing campaigns and advertisements for years. What would it say about the company if they suddenly went and changed the shape? While it would certainly get people talking, it could also prove damaging to the chain. The stories about Dave Thomas and his not cutting corners, not hiding the beef, are out there, so people could very well assume that Wendy's suddenly did have a shameful beef secret. Which could, in turn, lead to Wendy's closing even more locations. Better for Wendy's to stick with what works.