Wendy’s will close 200–350 underperforming U.S. restaurants starting in 2025 and continuing into 2026, a shift meant to stabilize operations as sales decline. The move matters because Wendy’s closures affect roughly 5% of domestic units and mark a strategy reset. The company framed the step within Project Fresh, which prioritizes efficiency and operational focus over expansion. Coverage centers on Wendy’s closures, rising costs, and changing consumer behavior across the fast-food industry. For the first nine months of 2025, revenue fell 2% to $1.63 billion and net income declined 6%, while U.S. same-store sales dropped 3.7%, with Q3 down 4.7%.
