Wendy's set to open in former Catskill Pizza Hut

CATSKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The former Pizza Hut building at 75 Maple Avenue will be vacant no more. The Yum & Chill Restaurant Group had the site plans approved by the Village of Catskill Planning Board to open a Wendy's in that location.

Rooni Mehta, Senior Vice President of Yum & Chill, said the company is working to buy the former Pizza Hut building. The restaurant group currently owns two Wendy’s locations in Poughkeepsie, and they are currently working on opening a Wendy's in Hudson.

"We are simultaneously looking to further expand in the region so we'll have more sites hopefully soon," said Mehta.

According to the Village of Catskill Planning Board documents, a cannabis dispensary was originally planned for the former Pizza Hut building. Those plans were abandoned after another dispensary, Catskill Roots, was approved by the Planning Board for 79-81 Maple Avenue.

The Yum & Chill Restaurant Group currently owns and operates 17 Taco Bells and five Wendy’s in New York and New Jersey. The group is slated to open four more locations in 2024 and 10 more locations in 2025.

Several Pizza Hut locations have closed over the past few years including Ballston Spa, Cobleskill, Amsterdam, and Gloversville. The Catskill location closed in December 2022.

Yum & Chill is planning to open Wendy's in the first few months of 2025. Founded in 1969, Wendy's has over 7,000 restaurants across the globe and is known for its square-shaped burgers.