Fast Food Open on New Year's Day? McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Krispy Kreme

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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New Year's Day is a federal holiday in the U.S. Many government offices are shut and some private businesses are also closed during federal holidays.

But many restaurant chains, including fast-food venues, are open on some federal holidays, including New Year's Day. In 2022, New Year's Day is on a Saturday. When a holiday lands on a Saturday in any given year, it is generally observed on the Friday before it. So New Year's Day in 2022 was observed on December 31 in 2021.

Some locations may be offering limited services due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and have safety measures in place, such as mask requirements and reduced store capacity and hours. Contact your local venue for more information before visiting.

Here we look at New Year's Day hours of operation at some fast food chains across the country.

McDonald's

Most McDonald's venues are open on New Year's Day. The typical daily hours of operation at most branches are from around 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. local time.

Wendy's

Most locations of the fast food chain are open for business on January 1. Normal daily store hours are from around 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.

Burger King

Most Burger King locations are operating services on New Year's Day. Most branches are typically open daily from around 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.

Krispy Kreme

Most branches of the doughnut chain are also open for business on January 1. Most venues are normally open daily from around 6 a.m. to either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. local time.

KFC

Most locations of the fried chicken chain are also open on New Year's Day. Normal daily hours of operation are from around 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.

Domino's Pizza

Most locations of the pizza chain are open on January 1. Normal daily hours of operation are from around 10:30 a.m. to 12 a.m. or 1 a.m. local time.

Dunkin' Donuts

Most Dunkin' Donuts venues are open on New Year's Day but the exact hours of operation vary by location. Contact your local branch for more information.

Taco Bell

Most Taco Bell stores are also open on January 1 but the hours of operation vary by branch. Some may offer 24-hour drive-thru window services. Contact your local venue for more information on exact timings.

Carl's Jr.

Most Carl's Jr. locations are operating services on New Year's Day. Most branches are typically open 24 hours daily but store hours may vary during holidays. Contact your local venue for more information on exact hours of operation.

A McDonald's in Houston, Texas in 2021.
A McDonald's storefront seen in Houston, Texas in July 2021. Many fast food chains, including most McDonald's venues, are open on New Year's Day in 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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About the writer

Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel, health, home/interior design and property/real estate. Soo covered the COVID-19 pandemic extensively from 2020 to 2022, including several interviews with the chief medical advisor to the president, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Soo has reported on various major news events, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the U.S. Capitol riots, the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. and Canadian elections, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Soo is also a South Korea expert, covering the latest K-dramas—including the breakout hit Squid Game, which she has covered extensively, including from Seoul, the South Korean capital—as well as Korean films, such as the Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Past Lives, and K-pop news, to interviews with the biggest Korean actors, such as Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game and Star Wars, and Korean directors, such as Golden Globe and Oscar nominee Celine Song. Soo is the author of the book How to Live Korean, which is available in 11 languages, and co-author of the book Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu. Before Newsweek, Soo was a travel reporter and commissioning editor for the award-winning travel section of The Daily Telegraph (a leading U.K. national newspaper) for nearly a decade from 2010, reporting on the latest in the travel industry, from travel news, consumer travel and aviation issues to major new openings and emerging destinations. Soo is a graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the journalism school of City University in London, where she earned a Masters in international journalism. You can get in touch with Soo by emailing s.kim@newsweek.com . Follow her on Instagram at @miss.soo.kim or X, formerly Twitter, at @MissSooKim .Languages spoken: English and Korean

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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more