Wendy’s Just Closed 13 More Restaurants: Full List of October 2026 Shutdowns

Wendy’s franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group closed 13 more restaurants on Friday, October 16, 2026, marking the fourth straight Friday of Wendy’s store closures since its September 17 bankruptcy filing. The latest shutdowns span Oklahoma, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and North Carolina, bringing Meritage’s post-bankruptcy total to 33 closed locations, with up to 60 more potentially closing through mid-November.

Honestly, when the first rounds of Wendy’s closures started landing in September, a lot of people figured it was a one-time thing. One rough franchisee, a handful of bad locations, end of story. It wasn’t. Every Friday for four straight weeks, another batch of restaurants has gone dark. And this Friday’s round was the biggest one yet.

Here’s the thing: this isn’t Wendy’s corporate closing stores. It’s one massive franchisee, Meritage Hospitality Group, and it’s been one of the biggest operators in the entire Wendy’s system. What happens next in bankruptcy court could decide the fate of dozens more locations. Let’s break down exactly what we know.

Which Wendy’s Restaurants Just Closed?

The short answer: 13 stores in seven states closed on October 16, 2026, according to a court document first reported by Fast Company. These are the exact addresses.

If any of those addresses is your regular Wendy’s, don’t bother driving by. The lights are off and they’re not coming back.

Why Are the Wendy’s Store Closures Happening?

The closures come from Meritage Hospitality Group, a Michigan-based franchisee that operated 314 Wendy’s restaurants when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 17, 2026. Meritage has described every closed location as operating at a loss, and the closures were set up as part of cash collateral agreements with its lenders.

Here’s some context on how big a deal this is. Meritage isn’t some tiny operator. It’s one of the largest Wendy’s franchisees in the country, employing around 9,000 people, and it has been running Wendy’s restaurants since the late 1990s. It actually started out as a hotelier before getting into the burger business.

There’s also real tension behind the scenes. Court documents show The Wendy’s Company moved to terminate Meritage’s franchise agreement before the bankruptcy process even began, and corporate has been pushing for more control over which locations ultimately survive. Asked for comment, a Wendy’s spokesperson told Fast Company the company works “on a case-by-case basis” with struggling operators, adding that “our goal is to preserve operations, improve restaurant performance and position the Wendy’s system for sustainable long-term growth.”

And the numbers are stark. Since the September 17 filing, Meritage has closed 33 locations: 5 on September 25, 5 on October 2, 10 on October 9 and now 13 on October 16. On top of that, roughly 60 more restaurants were already shuttered by Meritage before the bankruptcy began.

Will More Wendy’s Close in 2026?

Almost certainly yes. A court filing from last week indicated Meritage could close as many as 60 underperforming stores in exchange for the continued use of cash collateral, with rounds of closures expected to continue over the next few Fridays through November 13.

So if you’re counting, the Wendy’s closures list could grow a lot longer before Thanksgiving. The company has said nothing about how many of its roughly 9,000 employees have been affected so far.

What to Do If Your Wendy’s Closed

It sounds obvious, but check before you go. Use the official Wendy’s restaurant locator on the chain’s own website, which reflects current operating locations, rather than trusting Google Maps, since maps listings can take a while to catch up with a fresh closure.

Got a gift card? This is worth knowing during a bankruptcy. Wendy’s corporate gift cards are generally still honored at other open locations, but that isn’t automatic in every restructuring, so use your balance sooner rather than later. And if your regular spot closed, the next nearest Wendy’s is probably running the same deals, including the chain’s value-focused $5 and $8 meal deals that have been bringing traffic back to stores.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Prices last verified: October 19, 2026. Source of truth: the official Wendy’s menu page and Fast Company’s reporting on the court filings.

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