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Meritage Hospitality Files for Bankruptcy After Wendy’s Ends Franchise

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 2:19 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Meritage Hospitality Group filed for bankruptcy protection after Wendy’s terminated its franchise agreement.
The petition was filed in federal court in western Michigan on Sept. 17.
Wendy’s claims Meritage owes $27.4 million in royalties and $119.5 million in continuous operations fees.
Meritage operates 314 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states and employs about 9,000 workers.
Wendy’s shares rose 1% in afternoon trading after the termination notice.

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Story summary

Meritage Hospitality Group filed for bankruptcy protection after Wendy’s terminated its franchise agreement.
The petition was filed in federal court in western Michigan on Sept. 17.
Wendy’s claims Meritage owes $27.4 million in royalties and $119.5 million in continuous operations fees.
Meritage operates 314 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states and employs about 9,000 workers.
Wendy’s shares rose 1% in afternoon trading after the termination notice.