Wendy's targets Mexican customers amid mass U.S. store closures

Even arsenic Wendy's prepares to adjacent hundreds of restaurants crossed the U.S., the fast-food concatenation is accelerating its enlargement abroad.

Facing declining income successful its largest market, the institution is progressively targeting Mexico, wherever rising user request and beardown marque consciousness person created a large enlargement opportunity.

The contrasting determination underscores the company's broader effort to rebalance its concern aft a challenging twelvemonth successful the U.S., which inactive represents the bulk of its planetary footprint.

Wendy's (WEN) reported that systemwide income declined 5.2% successful 2025, according to its latest fiscal net reports.

In response, the institution revealed plans to close betwixt 300 and 600 underperforming restaurants crossed the U.S. during the archetypal fractional of 2026. The closures correspond astir 5% to 6% of its home locations, though nary database of circumstantial locations affected has been released yet.

"By closing consistently underperforming restaurants, we are enabling our franchisee partners to summation absorption connected locations with the top imaginable for profitable growth," said Wendy's CEO Ken Cook successful the company's latest net call.

Founded successful 1969, Wendy's remains heavy reliant connected the U.S. market. As of the extremity of 2025, the institution operated 5,969 U.S. restaurants retired of 7,397 full locations worldwide, according to its fiscal filings.

While it's shrinking its U.S. footprint, Wendy's is expanding successful Mexico.

The institution precocious finalized 2 franchise agreements that volition adhd much than 60 caller Wendy's restaurants successful the state implicit the coming years arsenic portion of its planetary maturation plans, according to the announcement.

• Mexico City Region: Wendy's plans to unfastened 50 caller restaurants done a concern with AJ Group crossed Mexico City and surrounding states, including Hidalgo and Morelos.

• Northern Mexico Region: A abstracted statement with WS Pacific volition bring 12 further restaurants to bluish Mexican states, including Sinaloa and Durango, with openings expected by the extremity of the year.

"These agreements bespeak the increasing user request for Wendy's successful Mexico and reenforce the brand's accelerating beingness crossed Latin America," said Wendy's Managing Director of the Latin American & Caribbean Region Carlos Ribas successful a statement.

"By partnering with experienced franchise groups and continuing to put successful the close section resources, we person built a beardown instauration for sustainable maturation successful the market," helium added.