Missouri Tops List for New Wendy’s Restaurants

Some restaurant chains perform better than others in Missouri, but there is one that seems to prefer the Show Me State. A new report from Wendy's reveals they have opened more new restaurants this year in Missouri than almost any other state.

It was just a few days ago that Wendy's shared their quarterly development update. It says that from January 1 through the end of March, they opened 18 new restaurants in America. Their map shows that Missouri is tied among the states with the most new locations with 3 new ones already appearing this year.

Many are aware that Wendy's has closed many restaurants over the past few years, so this new growth is a bit of a surprise. Retail Wire shows that Wendy's closed 140 locations just by the end of 2024 alone. What suddenly changed? In early March of this year, Wendy's revealed a new growth strategy saying the chain wanted to add 1,000 net new restaurants by the end of 2028. What's taken place in early 2025 is obviously a part of that goal.

Why has Wendy's found success in Missouri more than other states?

There is a strong franchise foundation in Missouri including Legacy Restaurant Group in the Kansas City area. In addition, Sam Hamra of Hamra Enterprises has been working with Wendy's since 1976. It must be working because Wendy's currently shows 109 locations in Missouri and that number continues to grow.