The Southern Burger Chain That Made An Unlikely Comeback Despite Hundreds Of Closures

Many fast-food chains experience tough times over the years, with familiar names shrinking or readjusting restaurant footprints as circumstances dictate. One old-school burger brand, however, is taking a somewhat different approach: bringing restaurants back after they've gone dark. That spunky, resilient chain is Hardee's, the Southern-rooted favorite known for its made-from-scratch biscuits, hearty breakfast offerings, 100-percent charbroiled burgers, and crunchy, hand-breaded chicken tenders. After losing hundreds of restaurants in only a few years, Hardee's has begun reopening some locations that seemed to be gone for good. More than 20 franchised restaurants were back in operation as of April 2026, and at least 20 more planned to reopen. 

Hardee's story began in Greenville, North Carolina, where Wilber Hardee opened the first restaurant in1960. The original menu was about as straightforward as fast food gets, focusing on 15-cent hamburgers, 10-cent fries, and 20-cent milkshakes. By the end of the 1960s, the chain had grown to more than 200 locations, and during the 1980s it astoundingly opened its 2,000th restaurant. That kind of growth made Hardee's a major player in American fast food, particularly across the South and Midwest. 

However, a big change  came in 1997, when CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, agreed to buy Hardee's for around $327 million. At the time, Hardee's was considerably larger than it is today, with 3,152 restaurants across 40 states and 10 foreign countries. But the decades that followed weren't nearly as easy on the Hardee's brand. More recently, the chain lost 269 locations from fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2026.  

After a string of Hardee's restaurants closed without a clear explanation in 2023, the problems were eventually traced to major franchisees that operated dozens of restaurants each. Major Hardee's franchisee Summit Restaurant Holdings filed for bankruptcy after closing 39 Hardee's restaurants. Then came an even bigger tumble with franchisee ARC Burger. After its Hardee's franchise agreement was canceled in 2025, ARC Burger closed 77 restaurants and filed its own bankruptcy proceedings.

Many of those former ARC locations are now reopening as Hardee's, with the company taking over ownership and operations. While that's good news for both the company and Hardee's fans, ongoing challenges suggest the turnaround isn't complete just yet. Superior Star, another major Hardee's franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2026 after 32 of its locations either closed or lost their franchise agreements during 2025.

While Hardee's still isn't back to its peak numbers, the brand's recovery appears to be an ongoing work in progress. By spring 2026, stores were reportedly reopening and hiring employees in Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina. The Hardee's website currently lists more than 1,800 locations, though that number is likely to fluctuate as more restaurants reopen. For now, reviving once-shuttered restaurants is a significant step forward, and longtime customers can expect to see more Hardee's signs and ovens light up in the near future.