Wendy’s said it would be closing restaurants this year. Some are in South Mississippi
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- Wendy’s plans to close up to 350 underperforming U.S. locations through 2026.
- Multiple Gulfport stores closed; Orange Grove remains the city’s lone Wendy’s.
- Company cites 4.7% same-store sales drop and expects closures to boost nearby profits.
Wendy’s Company announced in November plans to close up to 350 more locations, but didn’t provide a list of restaurants soon to be out of business.
At least two are in South Mississippi.
The Wendy’s on Pass Road and Canal Road, both in Gulfport, closed recently.
A previous round of closures saw the exit of Wendy’s on U.S. 49 in Gulfport, leaving the Orange Grove Wendy’s the only one still operating in the city.
Several other Wendy’s have so far evaded any additional cuts that might come in South Mississippi and Facebook posts said employees are being offered jobs at these locations.
The Wendy’s locator web page shows 93 restaurants operating in Mississippi, including these that remain open in South Mississippi:
- Orange Grove, U.S. 49
- Bay St, Louis, U.S. 90
- D’Iberville, Sangani Boulevard
- Ocean Springs at I-10 Exit 50 near Ocean Springs
- Gautier, U.S. 90
- Pascagoula, Denny Avenue
- Moss Point, Mississippi 63
- Wiggins, East Frontage Road
- Picayune, Memorial Boulevard
This latest rounds of cuts will continue into 2026, the company said. Those 200 to 350 the company said will be closing are older or underperforming restaurants in the chain’s 6,000 locations in the country.
Wendy’s closed about 140 of its restaurants in 2024.
The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Ohio. It’s known for its square hamburgers, chili, spicy chicken and Frosty desserts, which recently are being offered in additional flavors like Oreo brownie and strawberry vanilla swirl.
These latest changes came after Wendy’s reported a 4.7 percent drop in same-store sales in the U.S. while competitors McDonalds and Burger King reported higher sales in the most recent quarter,
Interim Chief Executive Ken Cook said in a statement that closing underperforming locations will allow franchise owners to invest more of their resources in their remaining restaurants.
“Closures of underperforming units are expected to boost sales and profitability at nearby locations,” he said.
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
