Behind the Label
**It is unclear as to whether the namesake of Uncle Ben’s Converted rice was a real person. According to the company’s website, Uncle Ben was “an African American rice farmer known to rice millers in and around Houston for
consistently producing the highest quality of rice.” Ben’s excellent reputation was recalled by Texas food broker
Gordon L. Harwell when he was looking for a way to mass market his own type of rice after supplying the armed forces during World War II. As for Ben’s last name, it remains unknown. The man you see on the box, however, is a separate individual altogether. That man is Frank Brown, a beloved chef and maître ‘d in Chicago.
**Dave Thomas himself took the pictures of his daughter Melinda that would become the logo for Wendy’s. He
told his daughter to pull her hair up in pigtails and wear her blue striped dress. Upon seeing the developed pics,
he knew for certain his restaurant chain and logo would be based on Wendy. In case you are wondering why the
restaurant is called Wendy’s instead of Melinda’s, Melinda’s siblings could not pronounce her name, so they
just called her “Wenda”. In his autobiography, Thomas revealed that he later regretted naming his restaurant after
his daughter as well as using her in the logo. He felt it put her in the public eye too much, causing her undue pressure.
**Like Dave Thomas, O. McKee took a pic of his daughter to use for his product’s logo and namesake. That product
was “little Debbie” Snack Cakes.