TEXAS STATE - While Texas is known for its massive appetite and booming economy, the "Great Restaurant Reset" of 2026 is leaving a significant mark on the Lone Star State. This March, several national powerhouses are finalizing major pullbacks in Texas, trading legacy dining rooms for tech-heavy, smaller footprints to combat rising labor and food costs.
From the DFW Metroplex to the streets of San Antonio, here are the three major restaurant chains closing doors in Texas this March 2026.
1. Pizza Hut: Saying Goodbye to the "Red Roof"
As part of the parent company, Yum! Brands' "Hut Forward" initiative will shutter approximately 250 underperforming locations nationwide in the first half of 2026. This March marks the peak of these closures across Texas.
- The Targets: The brand is aggressively moving away from its iconic "Red Roof" buildings that feature large dining rooms and salad-and-pizza buffets. In Texas, where these buildings have been landmarks for decades, the focus is shifting toward tiny, delivery-only, carryout-only storefronts.
- The Texas Impact: While specific addresses are often kept confidential until the final days, regions like San Antonio (with over 50 locations) and mid-sized towns across North Texas are seeing the most movement. If your local Hut still has a "classic" dine-in look, its days are likely numbered.
2. Salad and Go: The Total Texas Exit
In a move that shocked the fast-casual world, the Arizona-based healthy chain Salad and Go has officially announced it is exiting the Texas market entirely. The final 25 Texas locations are scheduled to close by the end of March.
- The Pullback: After an aggressive expansion into Texas and Oklahoma, the company is relocating its headquarters back to Arizona to "refocus on core markets."
- What it means: For fans of their low-cost salads and wraps in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, this is the end of the road. The company cited a strategic decision to consolidate resources where its supply chain and brand density are strongest.
3. Wendy’s: Trimming the "Underperforming"
Following a steep decline in stock value late last year, Wendy’s is in the process of closing up to 350 underperforming restaurants through 2026. A significant wave of these "surgical closures" is hitting Texas franchises this March.
- The Reason: Interim CEO Ken Cook stated that the closures target "consistently underperforming" units in older buildings or weaker trade areas.
- The Strategy: The company is betting that closing these low-volume sites will boost traffic and profitability at nearby Wendy's locations. In Texas's crowded fast-food landscape, many of the older, unremodeled Wendy’s units are being traded for newer "Global Flagship" designs in booming suburbs.
The Texas "Value War"
Why are these closures peaking in Texas right now?
- The Wage and Rent Squeeze: While Texas doesn't have California's $20 minimum wage, the "market rate" for labor in cities like Austin and Dallas has skyrocketed. Combined with rising commercial rents and property taxes, the "low-cost" model of chains like Denny's and Pizza Hut is under immense pressure.
- Competition from Local Giants: Texas is home to H-E-B and Whataburger, both of which have intensified their grab-and-go and value meal offerings. National chains are finding it harder to compete for the "Tuesday night dinner" dollar against these local titans.
- The Digital Shift: Across the state, "Drive-Thru Only" and "Ghost Kitchen" models are winning. Many of the sites closing this March are being shuttered simply because they have too much "dead square footage" in their dining rooms that customers no longer use.
