The “Wendy” of Wendy’s restaurants knows a thing or two about the pressure and responsibility that comes with being the face of an empire.

In an interview with People, Melinda Lou “Wendy” Thomas Morse, the daughter of the late restaurant magnate Dave Thomas, revealed that while neither she nor her father knew how big the family business would become, he later came to realize the weight of the “namesake.”

What started as a “quick-service chain” known for its square beef patties and Frosty desserts is now the country’s third-largest hamburger chain.

“Probably 10 years before my dad passed, we talked about my name and namesake, and he just goes, ‘I’m really sorry I did that to you,’ which was really... to hear your father say, ‘Probably should just named it Dave’s and that’d been a lot easier,’ was a lot,” she told the outlet.

The conversation was a “really cool moment,” one that the franchise owner says has kept her going. All she sees now, when she looks at a sign, is her dad.

“So now when I see the sign, I just think of my dad a lot because he’s there in spirit,” Wendy Thomas told the outlet. “That’s why we’re trying to do it Dave’s way, every day. I hope he knows that.”

Who is Wendy Thomas?

Daughter of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, Wendy Thomas has served as the “face” and namesake of the brand since its inception.

“First of all, yes, Wendy is a real person. And a pretty special one,” Wendy’s has written on its website. “Today, she is one of the most involved and successful franchise owners in the Wendy’s enterprise. We think Dave would be proud.”

According to The New York Times, Dave Thomas named his first hamburger restaurant, then located at 257 E. Broad St., after his eight-year-old daughter’s nickname: Wendy.

Because her siblings struggled to pronounce her name, calling her “Wenda,” she went by Wendy, according to the Times.

Dave Thomas also “had her on hand -- with her freckles, blue-and-white striped dress and red-and-white striped socks -- to greet the first customers,” the Times reported.

The name, like the logo, stuck and the rest was history.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is the Wendy's girl? Meet the face that launched a burger empire

Reporting by Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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