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Long John Silver’s Halves U.S. Footprint as It Ends Co‑Branded Sites

Company officials say closing shared Taco Bell, KFC and A&W locations will allow the chain to focus on standalone restaurants to improve unit economics.

Overview

  • By the end of last year Long John Silver’s reported about 477 U.S. restaurants, roughly half the chain’s peak in 2015.
  • The brand has lost a net roughly 110 locations since the start of 2023, with about 30 closures and 10 openings reported in 2025 producing a continued net decline.
  • Management attributes about 70 to 75 of the recent closures to the deliberate ending of legacy co‑branded partnerships with Taco Bell, KFC and A&W rather than a uniform companywide shutdown.
  • The company reports 16 consecutive quarters of same‑store sales growth, systemwide sales rising from about $400 million in 2022 to nearly $430 million in 2025, and work on more than 115 remodels plus roughly 25 new standalone locations in development.
  • The remaining footprint is concentrated in the South and Midwest and consists of a mix of roughly 214 company‑owned and 262 franchised restaurants, a mix that shapes local lease, remodel and franchisee decisions.