Fast Food Restaurants That Will Be Open Thanksgiving 2023 And Which Will Be Closed

If you are traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday or do not have a meal planned with family or friends, it can be a challenging time to find open restaurants, even in a big city. A number of sit-down establishments close for the day and give their employees the holiday off.

A number of fast-food restaurants shut down for Thanksgiving, as well, while other chains open stores in select locations or keep limited or varying hours. To help you keep track of which ones will be open and which will be closed, Mashed has compiled a list that includes some of the biggest fast-food chains with information on their restaurant hours for Thanksgiving 2023. Whether you are craving a Big Mac, a frappuccino, a Frosty, or a pepperoni pizza, you can see which of your go-to places are still slinging food and beverages on Turkey Day to meet the demands of the hungry and thirsty masses.

On Thanksgiving, Starbucks store hours vary by location and some stores may adjust their hours based on business to meet customer needs. Its media relations team recommends looking up specific stores using either the Starbucks app or its online store locator to check store hours and ensure that a location is open during the holiday. 

Depending on where you live, you might have an opportunity to swing by Wendy's on Thanksgiving for some spicy chicken nuggets. According to wendys.com, many Wendy's locations will still be open on Thanksgiving. The company advises checking its location finder for updated information on the Wendy's nearest you.

There is a possibility that you can still visit the home of the Whopper for a flame-broiled hamburger. Burger King will be open for Thanksgiving but holiday hours vary by location, according to its public relations. It is recommended that customers check the BK app for store hours.

If you were hoping to grab a footlong sub on Thanksgiving day, you will have to wait until Black Friday while you are out shopping for Christmas gifts to eat fresh. All Subway restaurants will be closed for the holiday this year, according to the company's website.

Whether or not McDonald's is open on Thanksgiving day will depend on the location. McDonald's customer service told Mashed that each owner of the roughly 95% of franchised Golden Arches restaurants will make that decision, meaning some may remain open for standard operating hours while others will reduce hours or close altogether. Even the small number of corporate-owned Mickey D's will have varied hours on Thanksgiving, set on a location-by-location basis.

Those seeking out a fourth meal on Thanksgiving will be out of luck, as all Taco Bell locations will not be open this year on Nov. 23 in recognition of the holiday, according to its website. All of those hankerings for a Cravings Box will need to wait until Friday, at which point you can fulfill those yearnings.

If you were expecting to eat more chicken and less turkey this holiday, it won't be happening at Chick-fil-A. According to chick-fil-a.com, all of the popular chicken fast food franchise's U.S. stores will be closed for Thanksgiving so that their employees can spend time with family and friends.

Finding an open fast-food restaurant where you can satisfy your hunger for burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and chips and salsa over the holiday will be difficult. Similarly to Taco Bell, Chipotle restaurants will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and will be reopening on Friday, according to its media relations team.

The throwback fast food joint known for its burgers, fries, and extensive dessert drink menu will be hit or miss on Thanksgiving. Since 95% of SONIC's drive-ins are owned locally, holiday schedules vary based on location, according to Inspire Brands media relations. Guest are encouraged to download the Sonic app to check the hours of their local stores.

Should you desire other meats outside of turkey for Thanksgiving, Arby's could be an option based on where you live. Many Arby's locations will be open on Thanksgiving, according to Inspire Brands media relations. However, store hours may vary by location. Customers are encouraged to confirm hours before visiting by using Arby's online store locator.

If you are hoping to trade out your pumpkin pie for a pumpkin spice latte on Thanksgiving, you might be in luck depending on where you live. While many Dunkin' locations will be open on Thanksgiving, store hours vary by location. Inspire Brands media relations encourages its customers to check the Dunkin' mobile app to confirm if their local store is open before visiting.

No luck at Domino's on Turkey Day. Those craving pizza, cheesy bread, or any of Domino's other tasty creations will have to stock up early or wait. Two Central Florida locations confirmed to Mashed that they follow a chain-wide policy of closing on Thanksgiving. Employees expected stores to be open during regular operating hours on Black Friday.

Panera Bread's ovens are quiet on Thanksgiving Day. The chain, known for its bread, sandwiches, soups, and salads, won't be open on the holiday. A corporate customer service representative told Mashed the policy applies to all Panera locations nationwide. Most close around 9 or 10 p.m. the previous night, giving procrastinators plenty of time to grab some easy breakfast baked goods before a busy day of cooking.

Hungry folks looking for a different kind of pie this Thanksgiving may or may not be able to indulge at their local Pizza Hut. According to Pizza Hut's corporate customer service, each individual store will decide whether or not to open on Thanksgiving Day and, if it does, what its hours will be. If Turkey Day pizza is in your plans, it's best to call ahead to check with your nearest location.

Don't plan on swapping out your traditional turkey and trimmings for some of the Colonel's fried chicken and sides this Thanksgiving. A KFC customer care representative confirmed to Mashed that all restaurant locations will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. If you still haven't had your fill by Black Friday, KFC locations will have returned to normal operating hours by then.