Wendy’s Is Closing 140 Locations by the End of 2024. Here’s Who May Be Affected.

Wendy’s has announced that it is closing 140 locations by the end of the year. These locations have been designated as “underperforming” locations, and will no longer be open in 2025. Here’s what we know about the affected locations.

Wendy’s Is Closing 140 Spots — Is a Location Near You Affected?

Despite reports from companies like Affärsstaden that suggest that economies are on the “road to recovery,” the restaurant industry is still experiencing unprecedented shrinkage, and Wendy’s is no exception.

Per USA Today, the fast-food chain’s CFO Gunther Plosch said on an earnings call that the company planned to shut down 140 “outdated” restaurants and replace them with locations that are more profitable.

“After our strategic review, we now expect a similar number of closures as openings, so we expect net unit growth in 2024 to be roughly flat,” a spokesperson told the outlet.

Though Wendy’s did not disclose exactly which locations would be shut down, executives did note that they would be “spread out geographically both in the U.S. and globally,” according to USA Today.

Regarding which sites will be shutting down, MLive reports that at least 12 locations in Michigan are closing or have already been closed. As of earlier this week, the following Wendy’s restaurants are no longer listed on the company website:

• Adrian — 644 S Main St.
• Belleville — 11000 Belleville Rd.
• Brighton — 9370 Lee Rd.
• Coldwater — 525 E Chicago St.
• Dimondale — 9805 Davis Hwy.
• Ionia — 2620 S State Rd.
• Lansing — 2727 Eaton Rapids Rd, and 3920 West Saginaw
• Novi — 26245 Novi Rd.
• Schoolcraft — 12793 N US 131.
• Tecumseh — 1301 W Chicago Blvd.
• Ypsilanti — 2735 Washtenaw Ave.

The Denver Post also reports that three locations in the area have closed. The three locations in Denver currently closed are 2485 S. University Blvd., 515 S. Broadway St., and 2770 S. Colorado Blvd. in the University Hills shopping development.

Additionally, five Louisville, Kentucky-area Wendy’s restaurants have also been hit by the closures, according to WLKY. Wendy’s restaurants at 4955 Brownsboro Road, 2800 Packerland Way, 4312 Cane Run Road, 5105 Preston Highway, and 4259 Outer Loop are among those scheduled to close.

Last month, the Desert Sun reported that the closures would also affect California locations. However, there are only 299 locations in California, and as of this writing, no specific locations have been reported as closed.

Trying To Entice New Customers

A new development incentive structure for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America was also revealed by Wendy in its annual earnings presentation. Despite faltering sales, the restaurant said it planned to open 250–300 new locations worldwide by 2024. The company’s 2025 target, which calls for all planned new constructions to be connected to certain development pledges, reflects its dedication to growth.

Additionally, Wendy’s and Coca-Cola have expanded their collaboration, expanded Wendy’s beverage offerings and preserved the system-wide competitive advantage of the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. This partnership is anticipated to spur short-term and long-term financial success, as evidenced by a temporary promotion offering any size drink for just $1 at participating U.S. stores.

What’s more, the fast-food giant has revealed that it will be using more AI to better serve its customers.

According to Bloomberg, Palantir Technologies is helping the fast-food juggernaut meet its demand. Data analytics company Palantir utilizes artificial intelligence to detect shortages before they happen, ensuring Wendy’s supply chain team is ready to serve consumers in the event that a $1 Frosty deal draws sizable crowds.

The restaurant industry is facing challenges due to growing labor and ingredient costs following years of high inflation. AI is beginning to gain traction in this industry. This has compelled an already profit-constrained business to take a closer look at cost containment.

Wendy’s supply chain co-op, an independent company that purchases goods for the company’s restaurants, is betting that Palantir’s system will do this for the 6,000 Wendy’s restaurants across the United States. Retailers usually stock extra items in case of emergencies, but inflation has increased the expense of doing so.

“Three or four years from now, if you’re not doing this, you’ll be at a distinct disadvantage,” said Pete Suerken, who leads the co-op, in a statement to the outlet. “This is something that, as an industry, will change the way we work.”