Wendy's

WEN · EST. 1969 · Dublin, Ohio

+ CompareFranchise requirements
US UNITS5,7242026 record · Wendy's Form 10-Q, U.S. restaurants as of June 28, 2026
GLOBAL UNITS7,1802026 record · Wendy's Form 10-Q, system restaurants as of June 28, 2026
FRANCHISED %92.7%2026 record · Wendy's 10-Q June 28, 2026: 5,304 of 5,724 U.S. restaurants franchised
FRANCHISE REQUIREMENTSView source notes ↓Figures, scope and source dates

01Our Coverage

Latest

Flynn joins Wendy’s buyout proposal as investor and operator

The share purchase proposal involves an existing Wendy’s operator and the chain’s franchise financing.

Oct 31, 2026

Restaurant spending rises as Wendy’s and Starbucks shares rallyOct 19, 2026Wendy’s sought to keep seven Meritage restaurants openOct 11, 2026Wendy’s made an emo album for its parking lotSep 25, 2026Wendy’s operator Meritage plans closures, Fast Company reportsSep 25, 2026Meritage files for Chapter 11, plans to keep restaurants operatingSep 18, 2026Wendy’s reunites Wright and Cirulis in finance and strategySep 15, 2026Wendy’s Opens Canada’s First Future Fresh Restaurant in North YorkSep 15, 2026Wendy’s Revives the Pub Burger for a Broader Fall MenuSep 15, 2026Wendy’s halves dividend as leadership reassesses turnaround spendingSep 15, 2026Wendy’s $1.99 nugget deal makes app access a requirementSep 15, 2026Wendy’s plans new operations role as Suerken prepares QSCC returnSep 15, 2026

02About the Brand

Wendy's is a publicly traded burger chain (Nasdaq: WEN) based in Dublin, Ohio. As of June 28, 2026 it operated 7,180 restaurants worldwide, including 5,724 in the United States, after closing a net 245 U.S. restaurants in the first half. U.S. same-restaurant sales fell 7.0% in the second quarter. 5,304 of those U.S. restaurants were franchised. In September 2026, Meritage Hospitality Group, a large Wendy's franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 and said restaurants would keep operating.

FIG 1 — US UNIT COUNT, 2025–2026
20255,969
20265,724

RECORD YEARS AND SOURCE LABELS BELOW

Records can refer to different reporting dates within a year. Estimates are identified in the source labels; these records are not a like-for-like growth calculation.

2025
Wendy's Form 10-Q, restaurant count at Dec. 28, 2025
2026
Wendy's Form 10-Q, U.S. restaurants as of June 28, 2026
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