Wendy’s closes US restaurants – mlive.com

A major fast-food chain is continuing to close restaurants across the United States.

According to the Associated Press, Wendy’s confirmed it will shutter between 5% and 6% of its U.S. restaurants – or 298 to 358 locations – in the first half of 2026.

The Dublin, Ohio-based company first revealed the planned closings in late-2025. They come on top of the closure of 240 U.S. Wendy’s locations in 2024, including at least 12 in Michigan.

Wendy’s said last week it planned to emphasize value food options as it tries to win back customers who have been hit with rising costs in most facets of daily life.

McDonald’s and Taco Bell are other fast-food giants who have emphasized a return to cheaper menu options.

“One learning from 2025 around value, we swung the pendulum too far towards limited-time price promotions instead of everyday value,” said Ken Cook, Wendy’s interim CEO and chief financial officer, according to the Associated Press.

Wendy’s shares rose nearly 5% after the news was announced.