DUBLIN, Ohio (WKRC) – Fast food giant Wendy's announced Thursday that it will close 140 underperforming locations.

According to Restaurant Business Online (RBO), Wendy's is closing 140 underperforming restaurants by the end of the year. The outlet reported that the company hopes the closures will bolster the company's overall health and prepare it for growth in the coming years.

The closures will impact both franchises and businesses, according to RBO. The company announced the closures during a third-quarter earnings conference call.

The decision was made as a result of a review of individual Wendy's locations to ensure they “meet our sales expectations, have the profitability to drive growth and deliver the Wendy's brand experience to customers,” CEO Kirk Tanner said during the conference call to the results. per socket.

“We designed this initiative to ensure that many of these units are replaced over time with new restaurants in better locations with significantly improved sales and profitability,” Tanner said, according to RBO.

According to the outlet, Wendy's reported an increase in sales from last quarter, due in part to the success of the “SpongeBob” Krabby Patty promotion, which performed better than the company expected.

“It really builds on our core menu,” Tanner told the analyst, according to RBO. “The Krabby Patty Burger is this square, fresh, never frozen burger. And of course, using our Frosty is always a game changer.”

The locations that will be closed remain unclear.