More Wendy’s Restaurants Closing in Michigan as Bankruptcy Continues

Wendy's has already closed a bunch of restaurants across Michigan this year, including several right here in Genesee County. And unfortunately, the closures aren't over.

Another round of Wendy's restaurants closed over the weekend, including one Michigan location that's been around for nearly 40 years.

Why Are More Wendy's Restaurants Closing?

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According to Fast Company, 13 more Wendy's restaurants were scheduled to close Friday, October 16, bringing the total to 33 since late September.

The latest Michigan location to close was in Manistee, where customers found a permanent closure notice posted on the doors.

You have to imagine this one hits the local community pretty hard, especially since it was the only Wendy's in Manistee and had been around since 1987.

So, what's going on with all these Wendy's closures? Well, a lot of it has to do with a Grand Rapids-based company called Meritage Hospitality Group, which operates hundreds of Wendy's restaurants. The company filed for bankruptcy back in September and has been closing locations that aren't doing so well.

Just to be clear, Wendy's itself hasn't filed for bankruptcy. This involves one of its largest franchise operators.

Are More Michigan Wendy's Locations Closing?

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That's certainly possible. Additional closures could continue into November.

If you've been keeping track, we've already seen Wendy's locations close in Flint, Birch Run, Holly, Lapeer, and other Michigan communities this year.

And the list keeps growing. We've also added locations in Grand Rapids, Hudsonville, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Manistee to our running list.