Habersham News has received a response from Wendy’s media relations regarding questions about potential restaurant closures — but the company did not provide location-specific details.
In its response, Wendy’s referenced information first shared during its Q3 2025 earnings call in November, where the company announced strategic restaurant closures as part of “Project Fresh,” its turnaround plan for the U.S. business.
According to the company, during its Q4 and full-year 2025 earnings call on February 13, Wendy’s Interim CEO and CFO Ken Cook provided an update on that plan. As part of a broader strategy described as “system optimization,” Wendy’s expects approximately 5% to 6% of its U.S. restaurants to close.
The company stated that 28 restaurants closed during the fourth quarter of 2025, with the remaining closures expected to occur during the first half of this year. Wendy’s described the move as an effort to close “consistently underperforming restaurants” and allow franchisees to focus on locations with stronger growth potential.
Notably, Wendy’s did not confirm whether the Cornelia, Clarkesville, Cleveland or Helen locations are among those expected to close, nor did the company provide a list of affected stores.
Habersham News will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more specific information becomes available.
