by Tom Gallagher
A charitable foundation affiliated with the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, plans to convert the original Wendy’s restaurant location downtown into its headquarters.
The Catholic Foundation will remodel the L-shaped building at 257 E. Broad St. into offices and meeting space after acquiring the property from Wendy’s International Inc. The charity now has its office at 1071 S. High St. in the Brewery District south of downtown Columbus.
Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas opened the restaurant Nov. 15, 1969. It later added a Tim Hortons baked goods counter in the store. The restaurant closed March 2, 2007.
"There’s a lot of history in this building,” said Wendy’s President David Karam in a news release. “We are very pleased that it will be the new home of the Catholic Foundation and continue to serve the community in a different way."
Terms of the property sale were not disclosed.
