You Won't Believe How Many Frostys Wendy's Sells Every Year

Wendy's distinctive Frostys have been a menu staple since the chain opened in 1969. The recipe did not come from Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, but a man named Fred Kappus, the CEO of the Kappus Company, a food service equipment retailer. Kappus got a call in 1969 from Thomas asking if he had a recipe for an ice cream dessert he could add to the menu at his new restaurant. Kappus knew of one being served at a local race track that mixed chocolate with a bit of vanilla, so he brought it to Thomas, and the rest is history.

If you have ever wondered what Frostys are actually made of, the recipe places them in a unique category where they don't technically qualify as either ice cream or a milkshake. Wendy's calls them a frozen treat. Whatever it's called, people love them, and the numbers back it up.

According to Wendy's 2019 sales figures, the company sells 300 million of its frozen treats every single year. That works out to over 820,000 Frostys per day. To gain some perspective on just how popular a Frosty is, consider how it stacks up to something like the iconic Big Mac. McDonald's claims to sell around 550 million Big Macs per year. But McDonald's also has nearly four times the total U.S. sales of Wendy's and about double the number of locations, according to a 2020 report from Technomic. That little frozen treat is more than holding its own.

Over the years, Wendy's has introduced many limited-time flavors to its Frosty lineup. The classic chocolate was only joined by vanilla in 2006. Since then, the menu has expanded to sometimes include flavors like triple berry, pumpkin spice, and even a Thin Mint collaboration with Girl Scouts of America that checked all the boxes for us. Recently, it even added swirls topped with sauces like caramel or chocolate and fusions, which can include crushed Oreos or Pop-Tarts.

There's a fun nostalgia and even ritual in enjoying a Frosty, too. Dipping fries in ice cream, for instance, is a time-honored tradition that may be baffling to some, but for others is a must-have experience when they go to Wendy's. Since a Frosty isn't quite ice cream or a shake, its texture makes it the perfect consistency for fry dipping, as we explained with food hacks to elevate your fries. There's science behind the salty-sweet pairing, too, as salt has been proven to enhance sweet flavors, making the combination a powerhouse of taste. Between the history, the fun flavors, and the salty-sweet (and scientifically sound) pairing of fries and a Frosty, it's no wonder Wendy's sells so many every year.