"Originally, we launched the baked potato in 1983 along with our salad bar, to provide a healthy option to sell alongside our hamburgers" says Lori Estrada, Wendy's VP of culinary innovation for over 16 years. And the timing couldn't have been more perfect: The mid-'80s and early-'90s marked an obsession with low-fat diets all over the world. Saturated fats became an enemy of those looking to slim down during the Reagan/Bush era, bringing the potato, a naturally fat-free food, into the national spotlight.

"In the mid-to-late '80s, almost everyone in the industry was playing around with healthy options in their menus, so Wendy's was actually probably a little ahead of the game with the potato," Estrada adds.