Wendy's shuts doors in Auburn

The franchise known for its old-fashioned hamburgers has closed its doors in the Crossroads Shopping Center on Bell Road. The Wendy's location first opened on Jan. 21, 2020. Six years later, the building at 2560 Bell Road sits vacant and the Wendy's branding has already been stripped from the building. The Wendy's franchise confirmed the location closed March 17. On the day of closure, residents turned to the Chit Chat in Auburn Facebook group for answers. "WHAT! NO!!!! I just went there for lunch! My go to along with the Tree!! The staff there is so awesome!!" Samuel Reed Schweyer commented on a post asking what happened to the restaurant. Matthew Graff commented, "Wow really?! First that location was a Del Taco, then closed, then it was something else then closed, now a Wendy's, now that closed. They should knock it down and just make it more parking. Cause everything that seems to go in there closes." The Auburn Journal reached out to the franchise about the closure, and Wendy's provided the following statement: "This restaurant closed as part of Wendy's U.S. turnaround plan, Project Fresh, which includes system optimization as a key pillar to ensure we have the right restaurant footprint in each market. These actions are focused on strengthening restaurant performance across the Wendy's system, enhancing the customer experience and positioning the brand for sustainable, long-term growth. For the most up-to-date information on open Wendy's locations, customers can visit the restaurant locator on our website." In an October 2025 news release, Art Winkleblack, chairman of the Wendy's board, stated, "Wendy's Board of Directors and management team are dissatisfied with the current valuation of the Company and have been working to put the Company on the right path to create value for our franchisees, employees and shareholders. Execution is underway and we are confident that Project Fresh will position Wendy's as the industry leader - one that guests love, franchisees are proud to operate, teams are excited to be a part of and creates significant value for our shareholders." A complete list of Wendy's locations in California can be found at locations.wendys.com/united-states/ca.