Wendy’s to Shut Down 350 Locations, Some Could Be in Michigan

Taken right out of the Burger King playbook, Wendy’s is now cutting hundreds of its own locations across the country. If you remember, BK did something similar back in 2023 when it shut down hundreds of underperforming restaurants across the U.S.

Now it’s Wendy’s turn. According to ABC 12, the company just announced plans to close up to 350 restaurants nationwide, and while no list has been released yet, there’s a good chance some Michigan locations could be part of the mix. The odds of Michigan not losing at least a few underperforming stores are pretty slim. I’d be willing to bet we’ll see a location or two disappear right here in Genesee County.

Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook says the company plans to shut down a “mid single-digit percentage” of its roughly 6,000 restaurants. Basically, that’s somewhere around 200 to 350 locations getting the boot.

Cook says they’re going after the restaurants that are dragging the brand down. Some of those spots might get a facelift or new owners, but others are just done. It’s basically the same move Burger King pulled a couple of years ago. The closures kick off later this year and will keep rolling through 2026.

This comes just a year after Wendy’s shut down 140 restaurants for the same reason. Sales are down almost 5% at existing locations, and the company says this next round of cuts will help “strengthen the system.”