One of the Wendy’s chain's largest franchisees has filed for bankruptcy, citing profitability issues and beef prices, according to court documents filed this month.
Meritage Hospitality Group, which owns 314 Wendy’s locations in 15 states, including Florida, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
The announcement is separate from Wendy’s plans to close about 300 stores nationwide starting in late 2025 and the opening of 44 new fast-food restaurants in the first half of 2026.
Here's what we know.
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Will any Wendy's in Florida be closing?
Meritage Hospitality Group said in court documents filed Sept. 17 it plans to weigh its options and restructure, which could mean closing or selling underperforming restaurants.
USA TODAY contacted Meritage Hospitality Group on Sept.
21 to get more information on potential closures.
"We partner closely with franchisees that are experiencing challenges to support them and evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis to identify the best and most sustainable path forward," Wendy's told USA TODAY.
How many Wendy's restaurants does Meritage operate in Florida?
The group runs 314 Wendy's restaurants, with most in Florida, Georgia and Michigan:
- Michigan: 54
- Florida: 44
- Georgia: 44
- Connecticut: 29
- Tennessee: 24
- Oklahoma: 23
- North Carolina: 16
- Indiana: 13
- Massachusetts: 13
- Ohio: 12
- Virginia: 12
- Texas: 11
- Arkansas: 8
- Mississippi: 7
- Missouri: 4
Wendy's said there are a total of476 restaurants in Florida.
Why did Meritage file for banktrupcy?
Part of the reason for the bankruptcy filing is an 11.3% decrease in same-store sales during the final quarter of 2025 and unusual winter weather linked to the La Niña cycle in the southern United States, impacting sales, the company said in court documents.
The company also cited reduced effectiveness of Wendy’s brand marketing, which Wendy’s previously managed.
The company also noted it filed for bankruptcy due to record U.S. beef prices tied to:
- Historically low herd levels.
- A shutdown of Mexican border beef imports due to disease.
- Tariffs on beef from South America, leading to an 18.9% increase in the company’s average cost of beef compared to the previous year.
Wendy's bringing back yellow packaging
Beginning Sept. 28, Wendy's will begin serving nuggets, fries and Frostys in the restaurant's original yellow cups and boxes.
The rollout will continue into 2027, Wendy's told USA TODAY.
The return of the yellow era is something customers have long desired, Wendy’s Chief Marketing and Customer Growth Officer Tariq Hassan said in a statement to USA TODAY.
"Fans asked. Constantly," Hassan said. "It's one of the most requested things we've ever had come back."
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Wendy's franchisee files for bankruptcy. Any Florida locations closing?
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