Key facts
- Starbucks closed approximately 250 North American locations in late September.
- Wendy's closed 289 US restaurants in the first half of 2026.
- Wendy's plans to close between 298 and 358 US restaurants in total for the first half of the year.
- Starbucks' closures represent about 1% of its North American coffeehouses.
- Wendy's systemwide US sales dropped 5.2% in 2025, and same-store sales declined 5.6%.
- Wendy's Q2 2026 global systemwide sales declined 8.2%, with same-store sales falling 7% and traffic down 12.5%.
Several major US chain restaurants are closing hundreds of locations in 2026 as they navigate a challenging business environment. Factors contributing to these closures include rising costs, cautious consumer spending, and intense competition for diners.
Starbucks closed approximately 250 locations across North America in late September as part of its "Back to Starbucks" turnaround plan. These closures represent about 1% of the chain's more than 18,000 North American coffeehouses. The company identified locations that could not consistently deliver the desired customer and employee experience or achieve acceptable financial performance. This follows a 2025 restructuring that resulted in the net closure of 107 North American locations. Starbucks stated it remains committed to growth in the region and is accelerating plans to renovate 1,500 coffeehouses.
Wendy's announced in February its intention to close roughly 5% to 6% of its US footprint, approximately 298 to 358 restaurants, in the first half of the year due to sliding sales and profits. The company reported closing 28 restaurants in the fourth quarter of 2025, leaving it with 5,969 US locations at year-end. After closing 289 locations and opening 44 new ones, Wendy's now operates 5,724 restaurants. Systemwide US sales for Wendy's dropped 5.2% in 2025, with same-store sales declining 5.6%. In August 2026, the chain reported a 8.2% decline in global systemwide sales and a 7% drop in same-store sales for the second quarter, with traffic down 12.5%. The company cited a weakened breakfast menu and fewer value offerings as potential reasons for the decline.