How many times have you had lunch at Wendy's because you were more interested in the Frosty
than in the burger and fries?
No matter how many times you've eaten a Frosty, though, there's plenty you probably don't
know about this irresistible treat.
Here's the untold truth of the Frosty.
Simply original
Wendy's founder Dave Thomas learned how a
simple menu helped with sales when he managed a few Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises in
the early 1960s.
When Thomas opened the first Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, he carried over the same idea
of a simple menu.
At Wendy's, that original menu consisted of five items: hamburgers, chili, french fries,
soft drinks, and the Frosty.
The original chocolate Frosty remains on the Wendy's dessert menu today.
Shelly Thobe, director of culinary innovation at Wendy's, told Thrillist that people have
probably been dipping their fries into their Frostys for just as long.
Temperature is key
Part of the appeal of the Frosty is its unique
texture.
It's not quite a milkshake, and it's not quite soft-serve ice cream.
That's because founder Dave Thomas wanted a dessert that mimicked the extremely thick
milkshakes he loved as a kid — but he wanted it to require a spoon, not a straw.
And he succeeded when he created the Frosty.
"But it's not a solid or a liquid!"
"So?"
"That can only mean that it's a soquid!'
To maintain the desired thickness and texture, Wendy's serves the Frosty at between 19 and
21 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's up to you whether you can finish it before it moves out of that magic temperature range.
Inflation has been kind
The Frosty on the original Wendy's menu cost
only 35 cents.
And although the current price is nearly triple what it was 49 years ago, the Frosty remains
a reasonable value.
Today, a small Frosty costs about $1 at regular price at most locations, though frequent promotions
often make it even less expensive.
At just $1, the Frosty has remained a reasonably priced fast food dessert option versus its
competitors.
For example, a small Blizzard from Dairy Queen costs an average of $3.69 in 2018, which is
almost $1 higher than it was just one decade ago.
The original McDonald's milkshake was 20 cents in the 1950s, but a small milkshake runs $2.19
on average at McDonald's in 2018.
The Frosty is king when it comes to value.
And you know there's no beating something that's both delicious and cheap.
Formula hacking
If you want to try to hack the Wendy's Frosty
formula, there are plenty of web sites that give you advice on trying to duplicate the
Frosty formula at home, and Wendy's even lists the ingredients for the Frosty online, so
that part is no secret.
But most of the ingredients aren't ones you probably keep in your pantry — and good
luck finding out how much you need of each.
"Free Frosty!"
"They want Frosty?"
"They do not get Frosty!"
The current Wendy's formula is nearly identical to the original formula from 1969, according
to Denny Lynch, the former senior vice president of communications at Wendy's.
He revealed: "The only difference is that ice cream has
a large amount of butterfat, so we've lowered the [percentage] of butterfat in our Frostys
to meet customer demand."
Most of the at-home recipes include things like chocolate milk and ice cream machines,
and they might get you close, but there's nothing like the real thing.
If you want Frostys on-demand, it's best to just take a trip to Wendy's and fill your
freezer.
Not-so-chocolate
When he created the Frosty in 1969, Dave Thomas
wanted the dessert to have a light chocolate flavor that wouldn't overwhelm the taste of
the burgers for his customers.
So he instructed his supplier to mix chocolate and vanilla dairy products to create the mild
flavor of the chocolate Frosty.
In fact, in the early days of franchising Wendy's restaurants, not every location had
constant access to Frosty mix, thanks to supply chain challenges.
When that happened, the restaurants were instructed to use a 50/50 mix of vanilla and chocolate
soft serve mix to create the Frosty until they were able to get their hands on the official
Frosty mix.
What's in a name?
Although the Frosty has been around since the beginning, Wendy's didn't trademark the
name until recently, filing a federal trademark application in 2013.
Soon after, Wendy's filed a lawsuit against United Dairy Farmers, which was selling a
frozen dairy product called "Frosties" made for consumption at home.
The packaging of Frosties consisted of a yellow background with red lettering — and looked
strangely familiar.
The two eventually settled the lawsuit late in 2013, when United Dairy Farmers agreed
to stop using the Frosties name.
Frosty fun-run
If you love Frostys, but feel a little guilty
about all the calories, we have the perfect option in the Wendy's Frosty 5K fun run and
walk in Columbus, Ohio.
Exercise first, then enjoy a guilt-free Frosty!
When you pay an entry fee and sign up for the Wendy's Frosty 5K, which normally occurs
in July, you'll receive a T-shirt, finisher's medal, and, best of all, a Frosty at the finish
line.
In 2018, the race had more than 800 participants and raised $110,000 for the Dave Thomas Foundation
for Adoption.