Chain restaurants are closing hundreds of locations across the US in 2026. See the list.

Multiple restaurant chains have shared plans to close locations in 2026.

Wendy's closed 289 US restaurants in the first half of 2026.

Pizza Hut said it intended to shutter 250 US locations in the first half of the year.

Some fast-food and fast-casual chains are shrinking their footprints in 2026, as restaurants navigate a difficult environment marked by rising costs, cautious consumers, and intensifying competition for diners' dollars.

Restaurant chains including Wendy's , Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Starbucks, and Bahama Breeze have closed locations or announced plans to do so this year. Some are pulling back from underperforming restaurants, while others are restructuring or refocusing on more profitable markets.

The planned closures come amid a challenging few years for restaurant chains, driven by inflation, rising labor costs , and shifting customer preferences. Some brands have leaned on value meals and innovations to bring more customers through the door.

"What's really worked within quick service hasn't been value, as much," TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles previously told Business Insider . "Value is important, but you look at when McDonald's, Burger King, etc, have done well — it's really when they have great menu innovation or great marketing that they really see customers respond."

Several chains have announced broad closure plans, while others have quietly or abruptly shuttered individual restaurants since the start of the year. Here's what to know.

Starbucks closed around 250 locations across North America in 2026.

Starbucks closed about 250 locations across the US and Canada in late September as part of its "Back to Starbucks" turnaround plan. The closures represented roughly 1% of the chain's more than 18,000 North American coffeehouses.

In a September announcement , the company said it had reviewed its store portfolio and identified locations where it could not consistently deliver the experience it wanted for customers and employees or find a path to acceptable financial performance.

The closures followed a 2025 restructuring that resulted in the net closure of 107 North American locations. Starbucks said it remains committed to growing in the region and is accelerating plans to renovate 1,500 coffeehouses.

Founded in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks has grown into one of the world's largest coffee chains, known for its espresso drinks, Frappuccinos, and seasonal beverages .

Wendy's closed 289 US restaurants in the first half of 2026, fulfilling most of its plan to shutter up to 350 underperforming locations.