Remembering Clara Peller, the Cranky Wendy’s Spokesperson Who Asked, “Where’s the Beef?”

(via Mental Floss) Like most major fast food chains, Wendy’s has long relied on innovative advertising to remain competitive with burger behemoth McDonald’s. Before their snarky, irreverent Twitter feed, there was Dave Thomas, the founder of the company, who appeared in ad spots offering unrehearsed sincerity about the quality of his food. Before Thomas, there was 83-year-old Clara Peller, a manicurist from Chicago, Illinois, who used three words to ignite a pop culture phenomenon: “Where’s the beef?”