Three Wendy’srestaurants in Georgiawere listed among locations affected by a major franchisee'songoing restaurant closures following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The Georgia locations are in Atlanta, Lawrenceville and Lilburn, according to court documents cited byUSA TODAY. The franchisee, Michigan-based Meritage Hospitality Group, rejected leases for 13 restaurant locations on Oct. 16, citing "unnecessary and burdensome rent and related liabilities."
Google listings indicate the three Georgia restaurants have closed, and the locations no longer appear in Wendy’s online restaurant directory, according to USA TODAY’s report published Oct. 21.
The closures are part of Meritage’s previously announced plan to shut down 60 underperforming Wendy’s
restaurants.
Which Wendy’s locations closed in Georgia?
The three Georgia restaurants listed in the Oct. 16 lease rejections are:
- Atlanta: 8455 Roswell Road
- Lawrenceville: 165 Scenic Highway S.
- Lilburn: 4234 Highway 29
The restaurants were among 13 locations across several states whose leases Meritage rejected, according to the court documents cited in the report.
Another Georgia Wendy's closed earlier in October
The three locations were not the only Georgia restaurants affected by Meritage’s closure plan this month.
A Wendy’s at 2668 Windy Hill Road SE in Marietta was among 10 franchised locations scheduled to close Oct. 9. USA TODAY reported that those restaurants have since shut down.
The Oct. 9 closures also affected locations in Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma.
Why is the franchisee closing Wendy’s restaurants?
Meritage's closures follow its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in September. Court documents cited by USA TODAY say the company had planned to close 60 underperforming restaurants, with closures continuing through September and October.
The documents cited in the report identify profitability concerns and record beef prices among the factors behind the closures.
Meritage previously said it operated 314 Wendy’s restaurants, making it one of the chain’s largest franchisees in the United States.
How many Wendy's restaurants does Meritage operate in Georgia?
Meritage reported in September that it operated 44 Wendy's restaurants in Georgia.
The company’s locations are spread across multiple states, with its largest concentrations in Florida, Georgia and Michigan. Its reported portfolio also includes restaurants in states such as North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
The closures involving Meritage are separate from Wendy's own previously announced plans to close some restaurants nationwide.
Wendy’s also reported opening 44 U.S. restaurants during the first two quarters of 2026, according to its second-quarter financial release.
USA TODAY reported Oct. 21 that it had contacted Wendy's and Meritage for comment and an updated count of the franchisee's locations but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Vanessa Johns is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia, covering food and entertainment. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 3 more Wendy's locations close in Georgia. See where
