Wendy’s Plans To Shutter 6% Of Its Outlets By Mid-2026

Wendy plans to shutter their hundred of outlets by mid-2026 as part of an ongoing strategy to improve their business. CEO Ken Cook announced in November that they would close hundreds of underperforming locations, while 28 outlets were already closed during the fourth quarter. The company said the decision to close some stores was made together with franchise owners. 

The goal is to close underperforming outlets in underwhelming locations, allowing owners to focus on more profitable ones. However, Wendy’s has not released the list of affected locations, and closures will begin in the coming months. 

Some store sales declined 11.3% in the final quarter of 2025 and were down 5.6% for the full year. Cook said Wendy’s was overly reliant on short-term promotions in the past. Now the company want to focus on everyday value deals. In January, Wendy added more affordable baggie meal options, including $4 baggie bites, a $6 baggie bag and $8 baggie bandle. 

This is not the first time Wendy’s has closed its own outlets; it also closed 240 underperforming outlets in 2024. Moreover, other industry leaders are also following suit, as Yum! Recently closed a substantial number of Pizza Hut outlets. 

However, this strategy, along with lower-priced meals, is designed to attract more customers who are unable to spend much due to inflation. Cook also added that the company’s new chicken tender, called tendy’s, has been performing well despite the overall sales decline.