Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, Jack in the Box to close hundreds of U.S. restaurants in 2026

Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's, and Jack in the Box have each announced plans to close U.S. restaurants in 2026. Wendy's said in February it would close up to 350 locations, or roughly 5% to 6% of its U.S. footprint, in the first half of the year. The chain reported a 5.2% drop in systemwide U.S. sales for 2025 and a 5.6% decline in same-store sales.

Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands stated in a February earnings call that it would close 250 U.S. locations by July 1. The closures target underperforming sites, and about 50 have already shut, mostly in California, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Jack in the Box expects to close between 50 and 100 locations by the end of June while opening around 20 new sites. Same-store sales fell 6.7% in the first quarter and 3.8% in the fiscal second quarter. Red Robin also closed some locations in Illinois, California, and New Jersey earlier this year after previously planning to shutter about 70 underperforming restaurants.

The closures occur after several years of inflation, higher labor costs, and shifting customer preferences, according to the companies.