DUBLIN, Ohio: Wendy's is accelerating restaurant closures in the United States and doubling down on everyday value offerings after reporting a steeper-than-expected sales decline in the fourth quarter.

The Dublin, Ohio-based chain said on February 13 that global same-store sales, at locations open at least a year, fell 10 percent in the October to December period, worse than the 8.5 percent decline analysts surveyed by FactSet had anticipated. U.S. same-store sales dropped even more sharply during the quarter.

Wendy's had previously announced plans to close underperforming U.S. locations and provided additional details. The company shut 28 restaurants in the fourth quarter, ending 2025 with 5,969 U.S. outlets.

It now expects to close between five percent and six percent of its U.S. restaurants — roughly 298 to 358 locations — in the first half of this year. That follows the closure of 240 U.S. Wendy's restaurants in 2024. At the time, the 57-year-old chain said many of its locations were outdated.

As it trims its footprint, Wendy's is also reshaping its pricing strategy to lure back customers hit by inflation.

"One learning from 2025 around value, we swung the pendulum too far towards limited-time price promotions instead of everyday value," said Ken Cook, Wendy's interim CEO and chief financial officer, during a conference call with investors.

In January, the company introduced a permanent "Biggie Deals" value menu featuring three price tiers: US$4 Biggie Bites, $6 Biggie Bags, and a $8 Biggie Bundle. Cook said additional new products are planned this year, including a new chicken sandwich.

Wendy's reported fourth-quarter revenue of $543 million, down 5.5 percent from a year earlier but slightly ahead of analysts' expectations of $537 million.

Despite the recent sales slide, the company said it is confident its U.S. turnaround efforts and international expansion will stabilize performance. Wendy's expects global systemwide sales, which include both company-owned and franchised restaurants, to be flat this year after declining 3.5 percent in 2025.

Investors reacted positively to the update, with Wendy's shares rising nearly five percent in mid-day trading on February 13.