Awarded "Most Improved Burger Chain" in 2003 by Sandelman & Associates, Hardee's® is constantly exploring new ideas, developing new products and refining its growth strategy. And that strategy is working, thanks to the support of our franchise community.
If you open a new Hardee's franchise, you're teaming up with one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. Our parent company, CKE Restaurants, Inc., is the sixth-largest company operating quick-service restaurants in the United States, based on domestic system-wide sales. We're shaking up the quick-service restaurant industry by executing an ambitious expansion plan, sharing the most profitable ideas and menu items from all our restaurants.
History
In 1960, Wilber Hardee opened the first Hardee's® restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina. The walk-up restaurant offered no dining room or wait staff, and served a limited menu, but Hardee was confident he would succeed.
He was right. Customers lined the streets for blocks and Hardee's net profit averaged US$1,000 a week, which was big money for that time! The popularity caught the attention of Jim Gardner and Leonard Rawls, Jr. two Rocky Mount businessmen, who later partnered with Hardee, creating Hardee's Food Systems, Inc.
On Friday, May 5, 1961, the restaurant partners opened their first company-owned, red and white tiled Hardee's in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The menu featured charco-broiled hamburgers (15¢), cheeseburgers (20¢), soft drinks (10¢) and coffee (10¢).
Five months after the opening of the first store, Hardee's gained its first franchisee, Spartan Food Systems. Soon after, they were joined by Boddie-Noell Enterprises, today, the nation's largest privately held U.S. franchise in the fast food industry.
Today
Currently, Hardee's owns and operates a system of nearly 2,400 company and franchise-owned quick-service restaurants in 32 states in the US and 11 foreign countries.
Hardee's Food Systems, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc., a Delaware corporation based in Santa Barbara, California. CKE Restaurants, Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange as CKR.
Hardee's is currently revitalizing its brand image and remodeling all its restaurants into "Star Hardee's". This marks a return to Hardee's heritage of charbroiled burgers. Hardee's continues to lead the industry with breakfast favorites such as Made From ScratchTM Biscuits, freshly sliced roast beef, the added value table service and of all-you-can drink beverage bars and brighter restaurants remodeled both inside and out.
