There are two less places to grab a quick bite in downtown Fresno and near Highway 99.
The KFC and Wendy’s fast-food restaurants at C and Fresno streets that had operated adjacent to each other for years have closed. The windows are boarded up and there is a razor wire fence around the building. The sign has disappeared and only the metal frame remains. Weeds begin to grow.
what happened?
Neither local management nor the parent company responded to messages seeking comment on the closures, which have occurred in recent weeks.
But Wendy’s is closing hundreds of underperforming stores across the country. It has been closed since last year.
According to ABC, between 240 and 360 restaurants may be closed. Prior to this, the closing wave of 140 Wendy’s stores ended in 2024.
The latest closures include those owned by franchisees, interim CEO Ken Cook said when he announced the layoffs during a 2025 third-quarter earnings call in November.
He said underperforming restaurants were a financial drag on the brand. The closure is expected to boost sales at nearby Wendy’s stores, he said.
“In (some) cases, the solution is to close restaurants that have been underperforming,” he said by phone. “These actions will strengthen the system and allow franchisees to invest more capital and resources in their remaining restaurants.”
The closures are in response to a 4.7% sales decline at Wendy’s, according to its latest quarterly report. Competitors such as McDonald’s and Burger King saw sales rise.
Wendy’s in Selma and Dinuba Boulevard in Visalia also closed last month, the Mid-Valley Times reported.
No additional Wendy’s store closures have been confirmed in Fresno. JEM Restaurant Management, which owns numerous Wendy’s and KFC franchises in Fresno, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Wendy’s remains healthy in town, with seven restaurants open in Fresno and one in Clovis.
The Wendy’s restaurant on C Street south of Fresno Street and the adjacent KFC are closed on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in Fresno.
(Eric Paul Zamora/ezamora@fresnobee.com)
KFC
The KFC at 1110 C St. has also closed.
Fresno also previously closed three other locations: a “next generation” location at Herndon Avenue and Spruce Avenue, another at First Street and Bullard Avenue, and a location at Dakota Avenue and West Avenue.
All restaurants are owned by JEM Restaurant Management.
The classic fried chicken chain has struggled in recent years due to declining sales. But in the past two quarters, KFC has turned things around and posted sales growth.
KFC has six locations in Fresno and two in Clovis.
The signs for the Wendy’s restaurant and adjacent KFC on C Street south of Fresno Street were empty because both restaurants were closed. Tuesday, February 10, 2026 in Fresno.
(Eric Paul Zamora/ezamora@fresnobee.com)
A chain-link fence surrounds the closed Wendy’s restaurant and adjacent KFC restaurant on C Street south of Fresno Street. Taken on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in Fresno.
(Eric Paul Zamora/ezamora@fresnobee.com)
The Wendy’s restaurant on C Street south of Fresno Street and the adjacent KFC store were closed on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in Fresno, leaving only empty signs in front.
(Eric Paul Zamora/ezamora@fresnobee.com)