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Wendy’s to Shutter 200–350 U.S. Restaurants in Turnaround Push

The chain says pruning chronically weak stores will free franchisees to reinvest in stronger locations.

Overview

  • Interim CEO Ken Cook said a mid-single-digit share of roughly 6,000 U.S. units will close, targeting “consistently underperforming” sites.
  • Closures will begin later this year and continue through 2026, with decisions handled case by case and no location list released.
  • Management will try fixes at some restaurants—operational improvements, technology upgrades or transfers to new operators—before deciding to shut them.
  • U.S. same-store sales declined about 4.7% in the latest quarter as value-focused competitors gained traction and lower-income diners pulled back.
  • New “Tendys” chicken tenders saw strong early demand, and international expansion remains a relative bright spot under the Project Fresh reset.