Wendy's closing hundreds of restaurants. Which Wendy's will close?

Fast food chain Wendy’s, which operates numerous restaurants in Virginia, is planning to close hundreds of additional eateries just a year after shuttering 140 locations.

Interim CEO Ken Cook told investors in a quarterly earnings call this month that the Ohio-based fast-food company would be closing a “mid single-digit percentage” of locations. The closures, he said, will begin this year and continue through 2026.

With around 6,000 locations still operating nationwide, this would equal roughly 240 to 360 stores. One investor estimated the number at about 300 locations during the call.

“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,” said Cook. “The goal is to address and fix those restaurants.”

In some cases, that will mean making improvements to technology or equipment or transferring struggling locations to new operators. In others, he said, it will mean closing the restaurants altogether.

A look at the Riverside Wendy’s fast-food restaurant, off Buffalo Street.

When will Wendy’s close restaurants?

The closures are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year and continue into 2026, Cook said. A list of specific locations slated to be closed was not released.