Overview
- Wendy’s says a mid‑single‑digit percentage of its roughly 6,000 U.S. restaurants will close, widely reported as about 200 to 350 locations.
- Closures will start in the fourth quarter of 2025 and continue into 2026, and the company has not released specific locations.
- Management will work with franchisees to improve, transfer to new operators, or close targeted restaurants, aiming to boost traffic and profitability at remaining sites.
- The move follows weak results including a 4.7% drop in U.S. same‑restaurant sales and a 2.6% decline in global systemwide sales, with heightened value competition pressuring traffic.
- The actions are part of the broader Project Fresh turnaround, paired with marketing and menu pushes such as new chicken ‘Tendys,’ reinvestment in technology and equipment, and an ongoing CEO search under interim leader Ken Cook.