4 Burger Chains On a Downward Spiral In 2025
It’s a rough time for fast-food chains, with customers unhappy with how expensive it is right now to get even a basic meal from a chain restaurant. Dipping profits have caused even the biggest and most successful chains to rethink strategy and how to get diners back, but for some burger chains it seems to be an impossible task. Here are four burger chains forced to close down locations in the struggle to regain past success.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s is planning to close hundreds of underperforming restaurants in an attempt to fight declining profits. “When we look at the system today, we have some restaurants that do not elevate the brand and are a drag from a franchisee financial performance perspective. The goal is to address and fix those restaurants,” Wendy’s interim CEO Ken Cook said during a recent conference call with investors.
BurgerFi
BurgerFi filed for bankruptcy last year and is still struggling in 2025. The BurgerFi location in downtown Saratoga Springs, NY, opened again in July so there are signs the chain is fighting complete closure. “Yes, we’re reopening soon,” read a notice on the store front. “Your favorite burgers are coming back.”
Jack In the Box
Jack In the Box recently posted its worst sales quarter in several years, with CEO Lance Tucker saying 70 more locations could be closing. “Jack in the Box significantly over-indexes with Hispanic guests, who, especially in our core markets, face uncertainty and have pulled back their spending. This issue is having an outsized impact on our sales,” Tucker said, adding that the last six months have been “some of the most challenging I can recall in my time in the QSR industry.”
Ruby Tuesday
While not strictly a burger chain, Ruby Tuesday’s decision to move away from burgers to fancier foods didn’t work, says Money Digest. The restaurant chain has closed 185 locations since pandemic lockdowns and is struggling to regain past success. “The almost complete elimination of in-store dining, which historically has represented over 90% of the Company’s total sales, struck at the heart of the Company’s business model,” CEO Shawn Lederman wrote in a court filing.