In 1948 Bell started his first hot dog stand called Bell’s Drive-In in San Bernardino. In 1952 Bell sold the business and used the that money to build a second stand that sold both hot dogs and hamburgers. Shortly after opening, the shop began selling 19 cent tacos. They were a huge hit.

Between 1954 and 1955 Bell opened three Taco Tias in the Los Angeles area, eventually selling those and opening four El Tacos. In 1962 Bell sold his half of El Tacos to his partner and opened his first Taco Bell. Just two years later Bell franchised Taco Bell and the company grew very quickly. In 1978 Taco Bell was sold to PepsiCo for $125 million in stock.

He began his career as a regular performer on the television show The Entertainers in 1964. Later, he was hired by TV producer Greg Garrison to appear periodically on the Dean Martin Show. DeLUise would go on as “Dominick the Great”, a magic act gone horribly wrong. Martin would always play the unlucky assistant from the audience. DeLuise became so popular that he became a featured member in songs and sketches. Numerous times Martin would be off screen, but his distinctive laugh could still be heard.

He broke into the mainstream when he co-starred with Burt Reynolds during the 1970s and 1980s, with movies such as The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II, Smokey and the Bandit II, The End, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and All Dogs Go to Heaven.

DeLuise is probably best remembered for his roles in the comedic masterpieces of Mel Brooks. Some of the films include Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Along with his comedic acting, DeLuise also authored several cook books and children’s books.

Thomas never graduated from high school, he dropped out when he was only 15 so he could focus on his job as busboy at the Hobby House restaurant in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It’s at that same restaurant he would meet his future wife.

Around the time of Korean War Thomas volunteered for the U.S. Army, rather waiting for his inevitably draft into service… and so he could choose his own assignment. Having some experience in the food industry he chose the Cook’s and Baker’s School at Fort Benning, Georgia. After his completion of his training he was sent over seas.

He credits his time in the U.S. Army for his later success in the fast food industry, as he was a mess sergeant. His daily role was feeding over 2,000 hungry soldiers.

After his honorably discharge in 1953, Thomas was offered the chance to work hand-and-hand with restaurant icon Col. Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. After some initial assessments Thomas believed the men was a bit bulky, coming in at over 100 items. The two proceeded to prune the menu down to what we know today.

He didn’t hang around KFC much longer; he had aspirations of his own burger joint.

Thomas decided to open a restaurant in the Columbus, Ohio area after he couldn’t find a decent burger place around. He went on to name the place after his two-year-old daughter Melinda Lou (whose nickname was Wendy).

Wendy’s went on to become a huge success, and saw Thomas resign from his day-to-day job with Wendy’s leaving it in the hands of his employee’s.

By 1989 Thomas had to intervene as numerous problems began to arise and sales began to plummet. Thomas would visit Wendy’s all over the country and bring his hard work ethic with him.

Around this same time he began his commercial career with Wendy’s, essentially becoming the face of the franchise. Thomas went on to appear in more than 800 commercials… more than anyone in television history.

Being a huge fan of eggs benedict, Peterson wanted to do something similar for the new breakfast sandwich he was developing. He eventually came up with the Egg McMuffin, which is an Egg sandwich (with the egg fried in a Teflon circle) topped with Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese. The whole thing was served on a toasted English muffin.

The first McMuffin’s were sold at McDonald’s in Santa Barbara, California, which were owned by Peterson and his son David.

The McMuffin went on to become the signature breakfast sandwich for McDonalds and has earned well over $4-5 billion dollars in revenues for the fast food chain.

He published a cookbook in 1939, and by ’47, his name was well respected. It was then that Roy H. Park, an entrepreneur, wanted to sell kitchen products using the Duncan Hines name. That name was eventually sold to Procter & Gamble.

Before McDonald’s he was a paper-cup salesman, a musician, and worked at a radio station.

He met Richard and Maurice McDonald through his job selling milkshake machines, and the rest is history.

James Carson Gardner and Leonard Rawls formed a partnership with Hardee to further expand his chain. The company went public in 1963, but the partnership didn’t last much longer.

The way Hardee tells it Gardner and Rawls won a controlling share of the company from him in a game of poker. After realizing that he lost control over his namesake company, Hardee sold his remaining shares to them as well.

Hardee went on to launch over 85 different restaurants throughout the Southeast.