The short version
- Primera Hora reports Wendy’s Puerto Rico issued a statement on Instagram Thursday denying any closure of its restaurants starting Nov. 30
- El Nuevo Día reported the denial came after a fake joint communiqué with Church’s Chicken cited high operational costs, lower sales and market changes
- Church’s Chicken posted a call for new employees on its social media on the same day, according to both outlets
- Both sources note the rumor appears amid uncertainty following the Yum! Brands and Encanto Restaurants split that closed KFC and Taco Bell locations
Denial of closure rumors
Wendy’s Puerto Rico rejected claims that all its restaurants would close on Nov. 30. The company, managed by Grupo Colón Gerena, published a statement on its official Instagram account on Thursday saying all locations continue operating normally. El Nuevo Día reported
The statement reads: “Todos nuestros restaurantes continúan operando con normalidad. Desautorizamos cualquier información publicada fuera de nuestros canales oficiales de comunicación.” Both Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día quoted the exact text. The clarification followed circulation of a supposed joint communiqué from Wendy’s and Church’s Chicken alleging operational difficulties.
Primera Hora reported that Church’s Chicken, despite the rumor, published a job recruitment post on its social media on Thursday. El Nuevo Día said it attempted to contact Grupo Larrea, the operator of Church’s Chicken, but had not received a response by publication time.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Todos nuestros restaurantes continúan operando con normalidad. Desautorizamos cualquier información publicada fuera de nuestros canales oficiales de comunicación
Our translation: All our restaurants continue to operate normally. We disavow any information published outside our official communication channels
The source's own statement, as quoted by Primera Hora. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Context of industry uncertainty
The false information emerged while the quick-service restaurant sector in Puerto Rico faces uncertainty after the breakup between Yum! Brands and Encanto Restaurants. That dispute led to the temporary closure of all KFC and Taco Bell locations on the island, according to both Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día.
El Nuevo Día and Primera Hora reported that other brands operated by Encanto Restaurants, including Pizza Hut and IHOP, have seen several locations close in recent days. Both outlets noted that more than ten collection lawsuits have been filed against Encanto Restaurants in recent days.
Encanto Restaurants is led in Puerto Rico by Humberto Rovira Figueroa. Established in 2004, the company describes itself as the island’s largest multi-franchise operator with more than 3,000 employees and 180 restaurants, both sources stated.
Where the sources differ
Both Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día agree on the content of Wendy’s denial statement, the existence of the fake joint communiqué, Church’s Chicken’s job posting, the Yum! Brands-Encanto Restaurants dispute and the resulting closures of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and IHOP locations. They also coincide on the number of lawsuits against Encanto Restaurants exceeding ten and on the company’s description. El Nuevo Día published one day earlier and mentioned its unsuccessful attempt to reach Grupo Larrea; Primera Hora did not. The sources differ slightly on exact wording of the rumor’s causes but report the same reasons.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state how many Wendy’s or Church’s Chicken locations currently operate in Puerto Rico, whether any individual restaurants have closed for other reasons, the current status of operations at Pizza Hut or IHOP beyond some closures, the specific amounts claimed in the lawsuits against Encanto Restaurants, or any planned response from Grupo Larrea or other operators.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Wendy’s desmiente supuesto cierre de todos sus restaurantes en Puerto Rico
- Reporting Wendy’s Puerto Rico desmiente el cierre de sus establecimientos
How we checked this
Primera Hora and El Nuevo Día both reported the Wendy’s denial and placed it in the context of the Encanto Restaurants dispute and related lawsuits. Details about the number of lawsuits, the company’s employee count and restaurant total rest on the two outlets’ reporting. No official statement from Encanto Restaurants or Yum! Brands was included in either article.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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