Wendy’s closures: Up to 358 locations to shut in months

Wendy’s will close hundreds of underperforming locations in the first half of this year.

In a recently released fourth-quarter earnings report, Wendy’s said it plans to shut about 5% to 6% of its domestic stores over the next few months. The company said the plan would affect 298 to 358 locations out of 5,969 stores. Wendy’s also reported that its fourth-quarter global revenue fell 8.3%.

Ken Cook, interim CEO of Wendy’s, said some locations are not raising brand value and are creating a financial burden for franchisees. He said the restructuring is aimed at improving overall store operations.

Ken Cook said the company plans to optimize its existing store base and reinvest cost savings into other franchise locations.

The closure plan includes 28 locations that already shut down in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the remaining closures expected to take place in the first half of this year. Wendy’s did not disclose the exact number or locations of the stores set to close.

The move follows Wendy’s closure of 240 locations in 2024.

Wendy’s said it expects the closures to help franchise partners focus on higher-performing stores.

BY YEONGCHAE SONG [song.yeongchae@koreadaily.com]