Raleigh car crash and Wendy's bankruptcy lead to closed restaurants. What to know. October 25, 2026 1:00 PM Gift Article Key Takeaways AI-generated summary reviewed by its newsroom. News of recent closings are reshaping the dining scene in North Carolina. One involves a car crash at a North Raleigh juice café, and the other stems from a national bankruptcy affecting Wendy's locations across the state. Here are key takeaways: * Kwench Raleigh, a juice café at 9660 Falls of Neuse Road in North Raleigh, will close indefinitely after a car crashed into the building on Sunday, Oct. 12, causing structural damage. Two dogs inside the car were recovered safely, and no people were severely injured, Raleigh police said. * Wendy's is shuttering three North Carolina locations - in Winston-Salem (2735 Reynolda Road), Durham (3527 Hillsborough Road) and Clemmons (1429 Lewisville-Clemons Road) - after franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and agreed to close more than 40 stores. The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.

Wendy's franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closes 41 stores. Wendy's closures continue as franchisee files for bankruptcy and shuts 41 US restaurants. Published 22 October 2026, 2:03 PM BST Wendy's franchisee Meritage Hospitality Group has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is shutting 41 underperforming restaurants across the United States, according to court records. The Michigan-based operator, which runs 314 Wendy's restaurants in 15 states, filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan on 17 September. Court filings state that Meritage had already been cutting back before it sought bankruptcy protection. The documents show the company closed about 60 underperforming Wendy's restaurants from late 2024, while also reducing costs and changing or removing breakfast service at some sites. Under a cash collateral agreement with lenders owed more than $135m (€115m and £101m), Meritage agreed to close at least 30 restaurants that were not meeting profit targets, court documents show. That represents roughly 10% of its Wendy's portfolio. Where the Wendy's closures began. The first five closures were spread across Virginia, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma. They included restaurants in Gordonsville, Jacksonville, Levelland, Tallahassee and Durant, all of which were scheduled to close during the weekend of 25 September, according to court documents. Meritage has scheduled 41 shutdowns, with at least 30 required by 16 October and additional North Carolina locations expected to close later. The company has not published a complete list of every affected restaurant, leaving customers to rely on local notices and Wendy's store listings. Some locations continued to appear in Google listings and on Wendy's own locator around their scheduled closure dates. Meritage said it intended to keep paying its roughly 9,000 employees while the bankruptcy process continued. It has not said how many roles could disappear as the closures proceed, so the employment impact remains unclear. Why Meritage went bankrupt. The company pointed to a combination of pressures in its bankruptcy filings. It cited record beef prices, weaker sales and what it described as the 'reduced frequency and effectiveness of Wendy's brand marketing' under the chain's previous leadership. There is also a dispute with Wendy's itself. The franchising business, Quality Is Its Recipe LLC, notified Meritage on 16 September that its franchise agreements had terminated with immediate effect, according to court filings. Meritage filed for Chapter 11 the following day. Wendy's has claimed in court records that Meritage owes it about $147m (€125m and £110m), including unpaid royalties, advertising and other fees. Meritage disputes the termination of its franchise agreements and is contesting the matter through the bankruptcy case. Court filings list approximately $725.9m in assets against $651.2m in liabilities, while reporting on the case has identified $155m (€132m and £116m) in secured debt. Wendy's own cuts add pressure. Meritage's situation follows wider changes at Wendy's. The company said in November 2024 that it planned to close about 300 locations nationwide that 'do not elevate the brand', according to interim chief executive Ken Cook. The chain had already signalled a smaller round of closures the year before, when it said 140 restaurants would shut. That plan was paired with openings of newer locations expected to perform better, so it was not simply a retreat from the US market. Wendy's shares have fallen about 24% in 2026 and roughly 27% over the past year, while the market reacted to Meritage's bankruptcy with a near-4% drop in the stock. What happens next for Meritage's restaurants. A potential sale could determine the future of part of Meritage's estate. Hiren Patel, owner of Divine Investors, has proposed buying 42 Wendy's restaurants for $18.6m (€15.8m and £14m), subject to court approval, according to court documents reported by Nation's Restaurant News. For now, the closures amount to a franchisee restructuring rather than a collapse of Wendy's as a chain. The outcome of the court process will determine how much of Meritage's Wendy's business is preserved.

No more Wendy's: here's why it's shutting down. October 19, 2026 If you enjoy Wendy's, you'll no longer be able to grab a hamburger, chicken sandwiches or frozen dessert, depending on your location as several stores have shut down. There are about 5,700 Wendy's in the United States and about 289 locations closed in the first half of 2026. The closures continue as one of its biggest franchises, Meritage Hospitality Group, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced the closure of some of its locations. It operates about 300 locations and will be shutting down about 41. It already cut 61 of them, reducing its loss by $7.3 million. Meritage's bankruptcy comes four years after Wendy's gave them a Momentum Award for visionary growth and expansion. The franchise spent $400 million growing its portfolio past 370 units, including about 100 new builds and redesigns of older locations. Wendy's CEO Robert D,. "Rob" Wright said that the closures are part of a systemic program through which they have a realistic look at the business. Furthermore, Rob said that some restaurants will close if it means making Wendy's more healthier. "Understand that the health of franchisees certainly is pressured right now because of the sales declines that we have had. You guys know this business. When you see some of the sales declines, it is going to show up in restaurant profitability. It is going to pressure the franchisees and create a little bit of fragility there." "When it came to closures, I think what you heard in some previous quarters was closures addressed more as a program for the system. You will see us take a much more targeted approach. We are going to come alongside our franchisees if they need our help." "If we need to use closures of a few restaurants here and there to make a portfolio a little bit healthier and help that franchisee get to the right place. Maybe a trade area has moved on, and it's no longer a business that's viable going forward, then we'll certainly help them make that decision, close a restaurant, and get their portfolio healthier. Overall, the health of the system is tied to the health of the brand." Wendy's is struggling due to declining sales as a result of the rising costs of food, transportation, and labor expenses. As an Amazon Associate, Spotcovery earns from qualifying purchases. Spotcovery gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Agnes Amondi is a sports enthusiast who enjoys sharing sports knowledge. Over the years, she has also written on different niches, and she now brings that experience at Spotcovery. She writes sports content and also, Arts & Culture, Recipe, Beauty and more. Exclusive Articles