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Danny Lendich (born 1944) is an Auckland-based business owner who opened the first Wendy's franchise in New Zealand. He is also a midget car racing sponsor.
Lendich's first business venture was a construction company, Lendich Construction, which he started in the 1960s after working for neighbouring farmers.
Lendich and his wife opened the first Wendy's franchise in New Zealand in 1988; they became Wendy's franchisors after they encountered the restaurant during trips to the United States. In 1993, Lendich hired Dave Vousden, known as "Kiwi Dave", to star in Wendy's commercials in New Zealand. Lendich, his wife and his daughter Danielle eventually opened and operated 22 Wendy's locations in New Zealand through a corporation, Wendy's NZ; Danielle took over as CEO of the corporation in 1999. In 2022, Wendy's NZ announced its sale.
Lendich and his family have also operated petrol stations and they own properties in Auckland.
Lendich, through his company D.L. Motorsports, has owned midget cars and sponsored several drivers who have collectively won hundreds of races, including Sleepy Tripp,
Early life
Lendich was born in 1944 to Croatian parents who had emigrated to New Zealand and farmed a pear orchard. In 1956, when he was 12 or 13 years old, Lendich—who had been using his family's tractor to work for local farmers—persuaded his father to purchase a bulldozer so that he could start his own contracting business. Lendich graduated from Henderson High School in Auckland.Business ventures
Lendich's first business venture was a construction company, Lendich Construction, which he started in the 1960s after working for neighbouring farmers.
Lendich and his wife opened the first Wendy's franchise in New Zealand in 1988; they became Wendy's franchisors after they encountered the restaurant during trips to the United States. In 1993, Lendich hired Dave Vousden, known as "Kiwi Dave", to star in Wendy's commercials in New Zealand. Lendich, his wife and his daughter Danielle eventually opened and operated 22 Wendy's locations in New Zealand through a corporation, Wendy's NZ; Danielle took over as CEO of the corporation in 1999. In 2022, Wendy's NZ announced its sale.
Lendich and his family have also operated petrol stations and they own properties in Auckland.
Midget car racing
Lendich, through his company D.L. Motorsports, has owned midget cars and sponsored several drivers who have collectively won hundreds of races, including Sleepy Tripp, Graham Standring
Graham and Graeme may refer to:
People
* Graham (given name), an English-language given name
* Graham (surname), an English-language surname
* Graeme (surname), an English-language surname
* Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer
* Cla ...
, Craig Baird, Sammy Swindell and Jerry Coons Jr.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lendich, Danny 1944 births Living people Midget car racing Wendy's International New Zealand people of Croatian descent Businesspeople from Auckland