COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Wendy's, headquartered locally in Dublin, may end up closing hundreds of locations through the end of the year and into 2026.
Interim CEO Ken Cook said on an investor call Friday that the fast-food chain would be working with franchisees to improve profitability, which includes identifying underperforming stores and making changes at those locations, including possible closures.
Cook said he estimates a "mid-single-digit percentage" of U.S. locations would be impacted by closures. Wendy's has more than 5,800 locations nationwide, which means there could be between 150 and 300 store closures.
"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," Cook said. "The goal is to address and fix those restaurants."
The company will, in some cases, consider implementing operational improvements or deploying additional technology and equipment at the underperforming stores.
"In other cases, it'll mean transferring those restaurants to a different operator who's better suited to be successful in that restaurant," Cook said. "In other cases, we ultimately will close that restaurant, which will put money back in franchisees' pockets and enable them to reinvest both capital and resources in their remaining restaurants."
He expects to have further updates on the next quarterly earnings call.
Cook said some stores could close before the end of this year. He said that company-owned stores are outperforming the system, but sales remain under pressure in the U.S.
"We do see more pressure on the lower income consumer," he said, adding that the $8 junior bacon cheeseburger combo has helped return customers, but hasn't attracted new customers as much as hoped.
However, Cook said that stores have seen lower employee turnover, and digital and delivery saw declines in cancellation rates, missing items and refunds. The company is testing additional changes in those spaces.
The company also introduced chicken tenders and six new sauces at the start of the fourth quarter, something Cook said has been successful. He noted that demand for the tenders has been strong and some locations quickly ran out.
Some customers, however, were not as sold on the new sauce options, with many fans taking to the internet to express disappointment that the chain discontinued its sweet and sour sauce. Watch related video in the player above.
The company opened more than 170 new restaurants globally through the first three quarters and plans to continue expanding internationally, including in Canada and the United Kingdom.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- OhioHealth plans to break ground next year on a $255 million expansion of Dublin Methodist Hospital, marking the latest in a series of investments by central Ohio's largest healthcare system.
Dublin's planning and zoning commission voted in October to approve OhioHealth's final development plan for a six-story, 207,000-square-foot inpatient tower on the hospital's north side. The decision clears the way for the health system to seek building permits and begin construction in early 2026. Watch a previous NBC4 report on OhioHealth's expansion plans in the video player above.
Hospital President Cherie Smith told commissioners the expansion is needed to keep up with population growth and rising demand for inpatient care. "We were boarding or holding patients in the [emergency department] who actually needed to be inpatients," Smith said during the meeting. "We just knew we didn't have the capacity for the continued population growth."
The addition will open with 48 private rooms and include space for another 48 that can be used later, bringing the hospital's capacity from around 140 beds to nearly 240 when fully operational. The tower will also include a cardiac catheterization laboratory, pharmacy, emergency department, surgical and nutrition services.
Additionally, nearly 60,000 square feet of the main building will be renovated to modernize the existing facility's critical support and surgical services to recover patients and support a dedicated critical care unit. Completion is expected in 2028, coinciding with Dublin Methodist's 20th anniversary.
The Dublin project is part of more than $1 billion in construction across OhioHealth's network. The healthcare system has also been steadily broadening its real estate footprint. In October, the system purchased urgent care centers and medical offices in Hilliard and Gahanna from its landlord. The $34 million deal included three buildings where OhioHealth has operated for about a decade.
Earlier this year, the company also bought the former Big Lots headquarters near New Albany for $36 million and applied to rezone the 24-acre property for future medical use.
DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- One of Ohio's most esteemed fire departments is investigating fire hazards associated with new data centers.
Washington Township trustees Stuart Harris and Chuck Kranstuber said they formally asked their fire chief to review data center fire hazards. Officials will report back in the coming weeks after speaking with neighboring departments and will recommend whether the township should pause future data center projects.
According to Data Center Map, 121 of Ohio's 193 data centers are in central Ohio, including in and around Washington Township. Harris said appropriately responding to data center emergencies takes a lot of planning and coordination. The township wants to thoroughly consider how data centers would impact safety departments.
"Inside is a vast maze and it's the size of several football fields," Harris said. "And so the firefighters have to know how to get in, help them get in quickly, what should they bring with them for fire suppression.”
Washington Township is the only township in Ohio to include parts of three counties, and it encompasses the entire city of Dublin. Officials' concerns are particularly noteworthy because Washington Township Fire Department is an elite agency.
Washington Township Fire has achieved the rare honor of being both ranked ISO-1 and accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Washington Township is one of just 117 departments in the U.S. to have achieved the honor, and one of just four in Ohio. Comparably, there are nearly 30,000 fire departments nationwide.
"So the fact that Washington is coming out and saying this is an issue -- in my opinion, they're a leader for fire safety," Dublin resident and data center awareness activist Amy Swank said. "So, other jurisdictions should be listening and really interested in what they have to say."
The International Association of Fire Fighters said agencies can't respond to data center fires like they would in other buildings. The buildings are massive with complex floor plans and feature expensive power infrastructure ripe for tricky chemical fires, like lithium ion batteries.
"You can have overheating equipment, electrical fires, if they're using lithium ion batteries for backup, that those are extraordinarily difficult to put out," Kranstuber said. "There might be diesel back up. And that raises a whole other set of problems, including air pollution."
Washington Township has a team of firefighters trained on lithium ion battery suppression and fire safety. Members are considered experts and train other departments on lithium ion fires across the country. The department recently responded to a lithium ion fire sparked by an electric scooter that hospitalized three, and the trustees said a data center fire would be much more intense.
"We're prepared, but the scale of these is unprecedented," Kranstuber said.
The township supplies mutual aid to neighboring Norwich and Jerome townships, meaning multiple departments will respond to a fire emergency and help one another. Washington's fire leadership is working with Norwich and Jerome Townships, as well as nearby Hilliard, to issue its recommendations to township trustees.
Washington Township's neighbors are also familiar with data centers. In September, Jerome Township paused data centers for nine months, citing utility strains and public safety concerns.
In Hilliard, the city is considering legal action over a proposed data center power system. While Hilliard was reviewing the idea, the application was withdrawn because the state had already approved the power system. Hilliard residents are upset the proposal is slated to continue without local input. See previous coverage of Hilliard's dilemma in the video player above.
Data centers are needed to power the technology most Ohioans rely on every day, from cellphones to streaming services. However, Harris said the influx of data centers has already diverted firefighters from other emergencies across Jerome, Norwich and Washington townships. The trustees are also concerned by the longevity of a data center.
"Technology is changing so rapidly. When this technology changes and these are no longer needed or there's some new or more compact way to handle it, then these huge facilities are just going to be eyesores on the communities that they're in," Kranstuber said.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The arts and entertainment scene dominates this weekend's list of things to do in central Ohio with music, film, theater and comedy.
On the big screen, the Wexner Center for the Arts hosts the Unorthodocs documentary festival, while the Columbus Symphony brings “Jaws” in concert to the Ohio Theatre.
Stage performances include the Abbey Theater of Dublin's “The Witch of November,” and comedian Karen Marie brings her stand-up show to The Attic Comedy Club.
Headlining the weekend's concert lineup is Paul McCartney’s stop at Nationwide Arena on his Got Back 2025 Tour. Music lovers also can enjoy a range of other performances, from ProMusica Columbus’s free family-friendly Once Upon a Tune concert at the Bexley Public Library to a candlelight tribute to Fleetwood Mac at the Columbus Museum of Art.
Other shopping and special events round out the weekend with the Bethel Holiday Market and Dick's House of Sport’s $5 Student Climb, where young people can get a discount rate to tackle the climbing wall.
Wexner Center for the Arts, Thursday, Nov. 6 through Monday, Nov. 10
• Unorthodocs 2025 film festival features documentaries, including true-crime “Predators,” “Baby Doe,” themes of civic courage and protest, “Teenage Wasteland,” “WTO/99,” and highlights of ecological issues, “Seeds,” “River of Grass.” Ohio connections and innovative uses of archival footage are prominent throughlines in this year’s festival. Passes are $45 for the public, $36 for members and adults 55 and older, $16 for students. Festival passes include admission to all Unorthodocs talks and screenings, the Unorthodocs passholders' lounge, plus one free drink ticket for the reception on Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. The festival screenings begin on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Dick's House of Sport, every first Friday of the month, Friday, Nov. 7
• Dick's House of Sport is offering a special deal for middle school, high school, and college students. They can enjoy a 15-minute climb on the rock wall for just $5, which is $10 off the regular price. Students can sign up online to reserve their spots and list their school name in the questionnaire. A student ID is required upon check-in for the climb.
The Abbey Theater of Dublin, Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 7 through Nov. 16 at 7 p.m., Sundays, Nov. 9 and 16 at 2 p.m.
• Based on the mysterious sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, “The Witch of November” follows Captain Ernest McSorley as he and his crew sail to their ultimate demise. In this world premiere, McSorley relives key moments of his life, observing the consequences of his career and what became of him and his wife’s life together. Tickets are $25, recommended for ages 13 and up.
The Attic Comedy Club, Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.
• Stand-up artist Karen Marie is bringing a night of comedy, chaos, and catharsis, where laughter meets the real, the ridiculous and the revolutionary. No topic is off-limits, no moment is predictable, and no one leaves without feeling seen, stretched, or slightly snatched by the truth.
Admission is $24.62, including fees, when purchased online; tickets are an additional $5 at the door.
Ohio Theatre, Friday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
• For the first time, audiences will have the chance to experience a live symphony orchestra performing composer John Williams' Academy Award-winning score in sync with Steven Spielberg's “Jaws” on the big screen. Conducted by Stuart Chafetz. Tickets start at $17.55, including fees.
Bethel International United Methodist Church, Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Attendees can shop from more than 150 artisan vendors selling homemade items. Products range from Buckeye items, jewelry, holiday items, home decor, wood items, food and more. There will also be two lunch options and a Youth Bake Sale. Saturday is open to the public, with $2 admission fee. A special sale is available on Nov. 7 for teachers, seniors, and veterans with free admission.
Nationwide Arena, Saturday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
• Paul McCartney performs his music from The Beatles to Wings and solo hits. Audiences can experience the music that defined decades. Verified resale tickets start at $488.84, including fees.
Bexley Public Library, Sunday, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• The community is invited to join musicians from ProMusica Columbus for a family-friendly concert that links classical music and children’s literature. All ages are welcome to this free concert.
Columbus Museum of Art, Cardinal Health Auditorium, Sunday, Nov. 9, 8:45 p.m.
• The music of Fleetwood Mac under the gentle glow of candlelight. Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multisensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations. Open to children 8 years and older; under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Doors open 45 minutes before the show. Tickets available for $58.50.
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