Wendy’s announces sweeping closures at hundreds of U.S. locations

Wendy’s plans to shutter hundreds of restaurants across the United States as part of a sweeping turnaround effort aimed at improving profitability and reversing a decline in domestic sales, according to a report from CNN.

Interim Chief Executive Ken Cook said Friday that a “mid single-digit percentage” of Wendy’s roughly 6,000 U.S. restaurants could close over the next two years — an estimated 200 to 360 locations. The closures will focus on outlets that have been “consistently underperforming” and weighing down the brand’s overall results, Cook told analysts during a quarterly earnings call.

“These actions will strengthen the system and enable franchisees to invest more capital and resources in their remaining restaurants,” Cook said, according to CNN. “Closures of underperforming units