Wendy's Permanently Closes 13 Locations Across Michigan

Did your local Wendy's get the axe too?

While they're consistently ranked one of the most expensive fast food restaurants on the market, they're also consistently ranked one of my personal favorites! Now suddenly Wendy's across Michigan are on the chopping block. What gives?

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Why can't we just have nice things? The state of the service industry is a fright; from corporate chains like Chili's and Denny's to locally owned brew pubs across Michigan, everyone's finally starting to throw in the towel.

However, this news regarding Wendy's is certainly a shock to me! Did you know Wendy's founder Dave Thomas spent time growing up in the Kalamazoo-area? In a 2001 interview Dave gave insight into those early years in Kalamazoo and recalls visiting the Kewpee Hamburgers location downtown to order their square burgers and milkshakes-- both of which are staples of Dave's own menu to this very day!

So why then are Wendy's locations across rural Michigan suddenly closing?

According to media brand Fast Company, Wendy's is planning to close 140 "outdated" locations nationwide. Wendy’s president and CEO Kirk Tanner shared,

We have designed this initiative to ensure that over time, many of these units will be replaced by new restaurants at better locations with significantly improved sales...We anticipate that total closures in 2024, including additional closures in the fourth quarter, will be offset by new restaurant openings this year

Wendy's, Coldwater MI - Google Maps

Of Michigan's 239 Wendy's locations we've received word that stores in Coldwater and Adrian (644 S. Main Street) have closed. The Wendy's website also lists the following stores as closed: