Wendy’s is one of America’s most beloved fast food chains. In the 1980s, Wendy’s restaurants adopted an iconic architectural design that set them apart from competitors: The glass sunroom (also known as a solarium).

Gen Xers and Millennials grew up enjoying Wendy’s meals in these sun-filled rooms. (Check out this nostalgic list of old-school Wendy’s locations to see if one with a sunroom still exists near you.)

The Wendy’s glass sunroom served more purposes than aesthetics. Researcher Phil Edwards uncovered these purposes and the reasons why Wendy’s eventually did away with glass sunrooms.

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5 reasons Wendy’s added glass sunrooms

Reason No. 1: They offered extra space.

Glass sunrooms offered Wendy’s restaurants and their customers more space.

Edwards referenced a 1984 article featuring Dick Cash, a Wendy’s restaurant manager, who explained one reason he thought Wendy’s franchisees started adding the solariums.

They offered “ten more tables, with a seating capacity of 28 additional people,” explained Cash. Although practical, the solariums weren’t cheap to........

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