Dublin, OH – Wendy’s will close hundreds of U.S. restaurants beginning later this year and into 2026 as part of its “Project Fresh” turnaround, with the company targeting roughly 200–300 underperforming locations nationwide.
According to the company’s Friday earnings call (Nov. 7, 2025), interim CEO Ken Cook said Wendy’s is “acting with urgency” to restore domestic comp growth and will “optimize” its footprint by evaluating every low-performing store for financial and guest-experience issues. Some units could improve via technology or productivity upgrades; others will close. Cook emphasized this is a net-development move—gross openings remain on track.
The shift follows a tough quarter for the chain. According to Wendy’s, U.S. same-store sales fell 4.7% in Q3, pressured by commodity and labor inflation and weaker traffic. Domestic sales declined 4.4%, while international same-store sales grew 3% and international systemwide sales rose 8.6%. Global systemwide sales were $3.5 billion, down 2.6% year-over-year. Net income reached $44.3 million; adjusted EBITDA increased 2.1% to $138.0 million. Wendy’s opened 54 restaurants in the quarter, bringing 2025 additions to 172 through Q3.
Cook said Project Fresh is refocusing resources on average unit volumes over net unit growth, refining value communications, and improving operations and training. The company is also leveraging brand consultancy led by former Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed and a new customer-segmentation study to sharpen media and messaging.
