Fast food chain Wendy’s recently announced plans to close hundreds of its locations, potentially leaving some Iowa stores on the chopping block.
Interim CEO Ken Cook told investors in a Friday, Nov. 7, quarterly earnings call that the company would be closing a “mid single-digit percentage” of locations. This news comes just a year after the company closed 140 locations.
Here’s what to know about the Wendy’s closures and how many locations are still in Iowa.
How many Wendy’s are expected to close?
With Cook saying Wendy’s would close a “mid single-digit percentage” of stores, with around 6,000 locations still operating nationwide, this would amount to 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.”
Wendy’s has struggled with sales compared to some of its competitors recently, reporting a 4.7% decrease in same-store sales —revenue generated by stores open for at least a year —and a 2.6% loss in global systemwide sales in Q3.
Will any Iowa Wendy’s be closing?
Wendy’s is slated to close hundreds of stores beginning in late 2025.
A list of exact locations slated for closure has not been announced, and Cook said the closures will begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.
There are currently 39 active Wendy’s locations in Iowa, according to the company’s website.
The USA TODAY Network has reached out to Wendy’s for comment, but not gotten a response.
Have any Iowa Wendy’s closed recently?
In June, the site listed 41 locations, according to the online Wayback Machine tool, an archive of web pages. It’s unclear which locations closed or exactly when they closed.
USA TODAY reporter Mary Walrath-Holdridge contributed to this report.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wendy’s to close hundreds of locations. What about the Iowa stores?
