Wendy's Plans Nationwide Store Closures in Late 2025
Wendy's, the Ohio-based fast-food chain with around 6,000 locations across the U.S., announced plans to close approximately 300 stores nationwide in late 2025. This follows the recent closure of 140 locations just a year ago.
Details from the Earnings Call
Interim CEO Ken Cook stated during the November 7 quarterly earnings call that the company aims to shut down a “mid single-digit percentage” of its stores. This translates to roughly 240 to 360 closures, with one investor estimating about 300.
"When we look at the system today, we have some restaurants that do not elevate the brand and are a drag from a franchisee financial performance perspective," Cook said. "The goal is to address and fix those restaurants."
Plans for Struggling Locations
The company is evaluating options such as upgrading technology or equipment and transferring underperforming locations to new operators. However, some restaurants will be closed entirely.
2024 Expansion and Closure Balance
Despite previous plans to open 250 to 300 new Wendy's sites in 2024, a spokesperson, Heidi Schauer, told USA TODAY that closures will roughly match openings, resulting in a flat net growth for the year.
"After our strategic review, we now expect a similar number of closures as openings, so we expect net unit growth in 2024 to be roughly flat," Schauer said.
Michigan Locations
Wendy's currently operates 218 locations in Michigan, according to its website. The company has not released specific details about which stores will close, including those in Michigan.
The closures are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Author's Summary
Wendy's plans to close around 300 stores nationwide by late 2025, balancing closures and openings to maintain flat net growth, while focusing on improving brand and franchisee performance.