Wendy’s plans to close hundreds of locations across the United States due to declining revenue and profits. The fast food chain expects to begin shuttering locations in the fourth quarter of this year. According to CBS News, the company cited “cutbacks by lower-income consumers.” Wendy's plans to close hundreds U.S. restaurants over the next few months. The new round of closures comes on top of the closure of 240 U.S. Wendy's locations in 2024.https://t.co/hTXg7qAmrE pic.twitter.com/PzB6USqWJP — Action News on 6abc (@6abc) November 11, 2025 CBS News has more: On a Friday investor call, Ken Cook, Wendy’s interim CEO, didn’t disclose the exact number or locations of restaurants that it plans to shutter. But he said the Dublin, Ohio-based company is likely to close in the “mid-single digit percentage” of its 6,011 U.S locations, or roughly 300 store closures if it shuts 5% of its existing restaurants. Wendy’s said the closures will start in the fourth quarter this year. Closing underperforming locations will improve traffic and profitability at its remaining U.S. restaurants, Cook added. Fast-food chains have been struggling to lift sales as lower-income consumers feel increasingly squeezed by rising food costs. Both Wendy’s and McDonald’s have introduced value meals to entice diners, but Cook said he doesn’t expect the financial strain on these households to ease soon. “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. The goal is to address and fix those restaurants,” Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook said during a conference call with investors, according to the Associated Press. Wendy’s quietly confirms 300 store closures next year https://t.co/RbizZB5DXs pic.twitter.com/LPngXngZse — New York Post (@nypost) November 11, 2025 The Associated Press shared further info: Cook said in some cases, Wendy’s will make improvements to struggling stores, including adding technology or equipment. In other cases, it will transfer ownership to a different operator or close the restaurant altogether. U.S. fast food chains have been struggling to attract lower-income consumers in the past few years as inflation has raised prices. Cook said he expects lower-income consumers to remain pressured for the rest of this year. In the first nine months of this year, Wendy’s said its U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 4% compared to the same period last year. Wendy’s revenue fell 2% to $1.63 billion in the same period, while its net income fell 6% to $138.6 million. Cook said $5 and $8 meal deals — which have been matched by McDonald’s — have helped bring some traffic back to its U.S. stores. But Wendy’s isn’t doing a good job of bringing in new customers, Cook said, so the company plans to shift its marketing to emphasize its value and the freshness of its ingredients.