Wendy’s abruptly closes down two locations in same state as diners beg for lower prices
Due to consumer demands for lower menu prices, Wendy’s has closed two locations in the same state.
Only an aclosing sign attached to the front doors remained as the fast food giant abruptly moved.
According to local NBC station WDTN, that’s how Ohio customers discovered Wendy’s outlets in Miami and Beavercreek earlier this week.
According to images captured by the publication, there was a paper notice in the window of the Miami shop that said, “This location is permanently closed.”
In addition, U-Haul box trucks were parked outside, the lights were off, and the drive-thrumenu signs had been removed.
A cursory Google search for the Wendy’s locations in Beavercreek and Miami now returns “permanently closed,” too.
Read More on Wendy’s
Additionally, each has been removed from Wendy’s full list of 5,996 locations across the country.
Given that Wendy’s announced at the end of October that it would close 140 “poor performing” and “outdated” restaurants nationwide by the end of the year, it isn’t totally shocking.
According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, it has already closed 111 in the first nine months of 2024.
In an earnings call, Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner promised investors and consumers that the closures would only serve to fortify the business’s already “incredibly healthy” structure and pave the way for “elevated growth in 2025 and years to come.”
Since 2022, Wendy’s has opened over 500 new locations, according to Tanner.
PRICE PROBLEM
Despite this, the majority of customers expressed no dissatisfaction with the closures and asked Wendy’s to implement a number of adjustments in order to regain their business by 2025.
Wendys hilarious dig
The first item on that list was lower prices.
“Maybe start charging fast food prices for fast food like it always has been and still should be lol,” a disgruntled Wendy’s fan commented in a Facebook discussion over the closing stores.
Reduced costs. Another person remarked, “I can go to a sit-down dinner at a restaurant for the same amount.”
According to a third, “The food is bad and expensive,”
Restaurant closures in 2024
Major restaurant businesses’ bosses have announced a number of closures. A list of the chain’s impacted members has been compiled by the U.S. Sun.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
- Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April.
- Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 ‘underperforming’ locations this year.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
- Chili’s: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Friendly’s: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana. This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations.
- Carl’s Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
- In-N-Out: An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area.
- Cheesecake Factory: The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July.
- Applebee’s: Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
- Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations.
- Taco John’s: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May.
- Frisco’s Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer
- Rubio’s Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
- Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years.
- Foster’s Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles.
- Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
- M xico Lindo: The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31.
- American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July.
- Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
- Lefty’s Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill: Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud.
- Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing “unforeseen circumstances”
- Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner’s family.
- Burgerim: Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
- Denny’s: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism.
- Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
- Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud.
- IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
- Jimmy John’s: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues.
- KFC: Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
- Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio.
- Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy.
- Red Robin: Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
- Noodles & Company: Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses.
- Shoney’s: The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint.
- Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
- World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets.
- Arby’s: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio,
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August.
- Hart House: Shutterd all four locations in California in September just two years after the vegan fast-food restaurant chain was launched by actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
FOOD FIGHT
Many others reiterated criticisms of Wendy’s food and beverages, saying that since the late CEO and chain creator Dave Thomas passed away in 2002, the quality has significantly worsened.
“The meal should return to its previous level of quality. It has drastically decreased,” someone raged.
A customer added, “Better ingredients and no seed oils…”
According to NBC News, Wendy’s only made major changes to their burger recipe once, in 2011, when it added a thicker beef batty, buttered bun, extra cheese, whole-fat mayo, and eliminated mustard.
Read More on The US Sun
Additionally, Wendy has faced criticism for its eagerly awaited Krabby Patty burger, which was inspired by SpongeBob Square Pants.
Following the release of a new version last month, consumers are also requesting the reintroduction of a beloved fall flavor, Frosty.
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