Restaurant Had Opened Here In 1977
The Wendy’s restaurant in Lexington has closed, ending nearly five decades of operation at the longtime fast-food location.
A sign posted on the restaurant’s door Saturday, Jan. 10, informed customers that the location had permanently closed. Information surrounding the Lexington closure has been limited, and attempts to reach the Wendy’s franchisee for comment were unsuccessful by deadline.
But the closure appears to be part of a broader corporate decision announced by Wendy’s in November, when the company said it planned to close between 200 and 300 underperforming restaurants nationwide.
Those closures were framed as part of Wendy’s “Project Fresh” initiative, a company-wide strategy aimed at improving profitability and refocusing investment on higher-performing locations.
During an earnings call with investors last fall, Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook said the company is un- dertaking a “system optimization” initiative designed to improve profitability across its U.S. restaurants. As part of that effort, Cook said Wendy’s is reviewing underperforming locations and, in some cases, plans to close them.
Cook estimated that a “mid-single-digit percentage” of Wendy’s U.S. restaurants could ultimately close as a result of the review — a figure analysts have interpreted as potentially affecting several hundred locations nationwide. The closures are expected to have begun late last year and continued into 2026.
Rino Guardascione, a landlord of the property and one of the owners and operators of Frank’s, which shares a parking lot with the Wendy’s, said he was informed of the closure on Saturday — the same day the sign appeared on the restaurant’s door. Guardascione said the decision came suddenly.
Guardascione also said Wendy’s was approximately a year and a half into its lease at the location, meaning discussions will need to take place to resolve the lease and determine next steps for the property. He said efforts will need to move quickly to fill the space.
Social media comments from employees indicate that workers were not given advance notice and learned of the closure as it was happening.
The Lexington Wendy’s first opened on Aug. 1, 1977, according to News-Gazette archives, placing it just over a year and a half away from its 50th anniversary. For decades, the restaurant served as a familiar fixture along the town’s commercial corridor.
The closure marks the third recent fastfood restaurant shutdown in the Lexington area. The local KFC and Dairy Queen both closed last year.
As of publication, Wendy’s corporate representatives had not responded to requests for comment regarding the Lexington location.
THIS PHOTO of the Wendy’s ribbon cutting appeared on the front page of the Aug. 3, 1977, edition of The News-Gazette. Mary Frances Cummings holds the ribbon, which was made up of dollar bills strung together. Cummings accepted the money on behalf of the Historic Lexington Foundation for its Stonewall Jackson House renovations. Pictured with her is Joyce Smith, a Wendy’s employee, and David Holtz, district supervisor of the national chain.
