Wendy's Restaurant Chain Quietly Closes 200 U.S. Locations — These 7 States Are Hit the Hardest
Wendy's Restaurant Chain Quietly Closes 200 U.S. Locations — These 7 States Are Hit the Hardest
Jessica McBrideTue, May 12, 2026 at 3:20 AM UTC
3
Wendy's restaurant chain first launched back in 1969, when Dave Thomas opened his first location in Columbus, OH. Over the next few decades, the chain has rapidly expanded.
Wendy's is still one of the largest fast-food restaurant chains in the U.S. But the chain's footprint has been dwindling fairly significantly in recent months, with seven states hit the hardest with closures in the U.S.
On May 9, 2026, the chain's locator tool "showed 5,675 locations in the United States. That’s roughly 200 fewer locations than what it showed at the end of September 2025," Inc. reported.Inc. noted that the data is limited to what Wendy's has shared on its website; the chain first announced its plan to reduce its store footprint nationwide about several months ago, Inc. noted.
Which States Have the Most Wendy's Restaurant Closures?
In this photo illustration, a smartphone displays the logo of The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN), an American fast food restaurant chain known for hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and quick-service dining, in front of a screen showing the company's latest stock market chart.(Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
According to Yahoo Finance and Inc., these are the states with the most Wendy's restaurant closures since September 2025 through May 2026:
Florida: 475 locations (net loss of 24)
Texas: 431 locations (net loss of 23)
Illinois: 175 locations (net loss of 18)
Arizona: 90 locations (net loss of 15)
Colorado: 115 locations (net loss of 10)
Ohio: 388 locations (net loss of 10)
New Mexico: 33 locations (net loss of 8)
"We are taking decisive action to strengthen the Wendy's system and improve performance," said Ken Cook, Interim CEO, in a May 8 earnings report. "During the first quarter, we introduced a new Biggie platform, upgraded our premium hamburgers, and launched new chicken sandwiches. Additionally, our focus on operational excellence is driving improvement in order accuracy and key customer satisfaction metrics. While our first quarter results reflect a business in the early stages of a turnaround, we are making progress to improve our U.S. business and are confident in the direction we are heading."
He added: "Our international business continues to deliver strong results, with systemwide sales up 6.0% in the quarter supported by further expansion in key growth markets. We're also excited to announce today a new franchise agreement with an experienced restaurant operator to build up to 1,000 restaurants across China over the next 10 years and look forward to bringing Wendy's to more fans around the globe."
Advertisement
Total revenue was up 3.3 percent, the company reported. "The increase in total reported revenues resulted primarily from an increase in franchise fees related to the system optimization program, higher advertising funds revenue due to local advertising funds being reallocated to U.S. national advertising, and higher Company-operated restaurant sales reflecting the Company's acquisition of franchise-operated restaurants during the third quarter of 2025. These were partially offset by lower franchise royalty revenue," the company noted.
Over the Years, Wendy's Helped Define Fast-Food Restaurants
According to the Wendy's website, its history includes many defining moments for the industry. "Wendy’s introduced the first modern drive through to the world; what Dave Thomas coined the 'Pick-Up Window,'" the website says.
"This innovation was so revolutionary that customers needed instructions on how to talk through the speaker to place an order. Originally called the 'drive-in window,' Dave wanted to change the name from something that could attract cruisers and joyriders."
By 1980, Wendy's had 2,000 restaurants. In 1990, Wendy's added a grilled chicken sandwich to its menu. In 2020, Wendy's joined the breakfast game, its website says.
Related:
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Money”
