Wendy's to Close Around 300 Stores Nationwide in Late 2025
Wendy's, an Ohio-based fast-food chain with approximately 6,000 locations across the U.S., plans to close a significant number of stores in late 2025. This decision follows the recent closure of 140 locations just last year.
Details from Earnings Call
Interim CEO Ken Cook announced during a quarterly earnings call on November 7 that the company intends to shut down a "mid single-digit percentage" of its restaurants. This translates to roughly 240 to 360 store closures nationwide, 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," said Cook. "The goal is to address and fix those restaurants."
Cook explained that solutions include updating technology and equipment, transferring ownership, or permanently closing underperforming locations.
New Openings and Net Growth
Wendy's spokesperson Heidi Schauer confirmed that about 250 to 300 new stores were expected to open in 2024.
"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 stated.
Timing and Locations
The closures are set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. Wendy's has not yet released a list of specific stores to be closed. Currently, Wendy's operates 218 locations in Michigan, according to its official website.
Summary
Wendy's aims to strengthen its franchise performance by closing around 300 underperforming stores nationwide starting late 2025, balancing closures with new openings to maintain steady unit numbers.
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