Collection

No, These Popular Chain Restaurants Weren't Closing in 2023

Don't believe everything Facebook ads tell you.

Published Nov 28, 2023

 (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Image Via Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In late 2023, misleading advertisements were shown to Facebook and Instagram users that claimed a number of popular restaurant chains were closing all of their locations. Wendy's, Olive Garden, and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store were among the chains targeted by these advertisements. All of the advertisements were false clickbait.

The ads came from an article on the Investing.com website titled, "Last Call: These Chain Stores Are Closing Locations in 2023." In each instance, the article did not reveal that the restaurant chain in question would be closing down.

These kinds of ads and articles exist usually because of advertising arbitrage. Advertising arbitrage is a strategy where an advertiser hopes to make more money on ads displayed in a lengthy article than it would cost to display a clickbait ad.

Below, you can find articles we've written so far about these clickbait restaurant-closure advertisements. We'll update this collection if we report further on other such ads.

A rumor in Facebook and Instagram ads claimed that Wendy's was going to be closing all restaurant locations, going out of business or going bankrupt.
Read More
Olive Garden is not closing all restaurants and store locations, going bankrupt or going out of business for other reasons, despite ads seen on Facebook and Instagram.
Read More
Cracker Barrel is not closing all restaurants and store locations, going bankrupt or going out of business for other reasons, despite ads seen on Facebook and Instagram.
Read More

Sources

Liles, Jordan. “Snopes Tips: How To Avoid Ad Arbitrage Clickbait.” Snopes, 2 Jan. 2022, https://www.snopes.com/articles/387913/avoid-ad-arbitrage-clickbait/.

Izz Scott LaMagdeleine is a fact-checker for Snopes.