Wendy's closing 140 more restaurants, but will open other locations

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FILE-A sign is posted in front of a Wendy's restaurant on August 10, 2022. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Wendy’s is closing 140 restaurants before the end of 2024, on top of the 100 the company announced it would close in May.

The Ohio-based burger chain did not provide a list of the locations that are set to close, but Wendy’s President and CEO Kirk Tanner tells the Associated Press the restaurants that are closing are "underperforming" compared to others.

Citing a call with investors, the Associated Press reported that Wendy’s plans to offset the restaurant closings by opening between 250 and 300 restaurants this year.

According to the AP, Wendy’s sales at locations open at least a year – were up less than 1% in the U.S. in the first half of 2024. The company had 7,292 restaurants at the end of the third quarter, with over 80% of the locations in the U.S.

What other restaurant chains have closed locations?

The announcement of Wendy’s closing restaurants comes as other eateries have faced challenges resulting in closures.

Denny’s is planning to close 150 restaurants by the end of 2025 and Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy protection in May after closing dozens of stores.

Hooters is closing several underperforming restaurants across the U.S. Nation’s Restaurant News reported earlier this year that about 40 U.S. locations were shuttered.

TGI Fridays also abruptly shuttered dozens of underperforming restaurants across the country in January.