Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. an analyst
    • ex. The business analyst explained the results of the study in simple terms.
  2. a closure
    • ex. The closure of the factory caused many workers to lose their jobs.
  3. underperforming
    • ex. The company closed its underperforming store because it was losing money each month.
  4. weary
    • ex. People are weary of hearing bad news.
  5. revenue
    • ex. Online sales improved the company's revenue.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Wendy’s is closing hundreds of restaurants in the United States after weaker-than-expected sales at the end of 2025. The company said its global sales at stores open for at least a year fell 10% in the October-December period. This was worse than the 8.5% drop predicted by analysts. U.S. sales fell even more, and that’s why Wendy’s closed 28 locations first in the fourth quarter.

The closures continue a trend from 2024, when Wendy’s closed underperforming restaurants. During that time, many older locations were considered out of date. Wendy’s said it plans to close another 5% to 6% of its U.S. restaurants in the first half of 2026. This is about 298 to 358 locations.

To move forward, Wendy’s is focusing on value to attract customers weary of rising prices and inflation. In January, it launched a permanent “Biggie Deals” menu with $4, $6, and $8 options. New products, including a chicken sandwich, will arrive later this year. So, despite revenue dropping in the fourth quarter, Wendy’s said it is confident that its U.S. plans and international growth will help sales this year.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.
Photo Credits: The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Closures of Restaurants

  • Wendy's has been closing underperforming restaurants since 2024. In your opinion, what might be some reasons for businesses to underperform? Discuss.
  • In 2024, Wendy's closed its restaurants that were out of date. If you were a director at Wendy's, would you order the closure of out-of-date restaurants? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think is the impact of the closures of several stores of a big brand like Wendy's? Discuss.

Rising Prices and Inflation

  • According to the article, some customers are weary of rising prices and inflation. How do rising prices and inflation make you feel? Discuss.
  • Wendy’s launched a permanent “Biggie Deals” menu with $4, $6, and $8 options. What do you think of the company’s strategy to introduce deals with different price options? Discuss.
  • If you had a restaurant business, what would you do to keep your business open despite rising prices and inflation (ex. give discounts)? Discuss.