Wendy's Plans Nationwide Store Closures in Late 2025
Wendy's, the fast-food chain based in Dublin, Ohio, is preparing to close roughly 300 stores across the United States in late 2025. This move comes about a year after the company shut down 140 locations.
Scale of Store Closures
The company currently operates around 6,000 locations nationwide. Interim CEO Ken Cook announced on a November 7 quarterly earnings call that the closures would affect a “mid single-digit percentage” of those stores, which translates to 240 to 360 locations. One investor estimated the closures to be about 300 stores.
“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.”
Approach to Problematic Stores
- Improvements may include upgrading technology or equipment.
- Some locations might be transferred to new operators.
- Others will be closed permanently.
Growth and Closures Balance
Wendy’s spokesperson Heidi Schauer told USA TODAY that about 250 to 300 new stores were expected to open in 2024. However, after a strategic review, the company now anticipates closures will nearly match new openings, leading to roughly flat net growth.
“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.
Impact in Michigan
Wendy's website shows there are currently 218 Wendy's locations in Michigan, though no specific information has been provided about which stores might close.
Closure Timing
The store closures are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. A detailed list of locations set to close has not been released.
Author’s summary: Wendy's will close around 300 stores nationwide in late 2025 to focus on brand strength and financial performance, balancing closures with new openings for stable net growth.