Hardee's
An American fast-food restaurant chain recognized for charbroiled burgers, made-from-scratch breakfast biscuits, and franchised restaurants in the United States and international markets.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Hardee's is an American fast-food restaurant brand operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. Its roots date to September 3, 1960, when Wilber Hardee opened the first Hardee's restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina. The business expanded rapidly after James Gardner and Leonard Rawls became involved in the company and opened the first company-operated location in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, in 1961. Rawls and Gardner established a franchise-oriented growth model, and Hardee's Food Systems became a publicly traded company in 1963. The chain initially grew across the Southeastern and Midwestern United States, later adding locations in the Mid-Atlantic region and abroad. Its early identity was built around inexpensive hamburgers, fries, milkshakes, and other counter-service items. During the 1970s, the Big Twin and Big Deluxe sandwiches became important menu products, while the company expanded through acquisitions. Hardee's purchased Sandy's in 1972 and later acquired the Utah-based Dee's Drive-In chain. In 1977, following a successful test by franchisee Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Hardee's introduced a nationwide breakfast program centered on biscuits made from scratch. Breakfast subsequently became one of the brand's strongest points of differentiation. Imasco Limited acquired Hardee's in 1981. During the Imasco era, the company also acquired Burger Chef from General Foods in 1982, converting many restaurants to Hardee's or allowing selected locations to adopt other identities. Hardee's later acquired Roy Rogers Restaurants and, for a period, Rax Roast Beef. Some Hardee's restaurants sold fried chicken using Roy Rogers recipes, while roast-beef sandwiches were also offered in parts of the system. Cost-cutting measures in the early 1980s changed parts of the menu and removed the Big Twin, although the Big Deluxe remained available for years. In April 1997, CKE Restaurants Holdings, the parent of Carl's Jr., acquired Hardee's from Imasco for $327 million. The transaction combined 3,152 Hardee's restaurants with 676 Carl's Jr. restaurants. CKE initially considered converting Hardee's locations fully to the Carl's Jr. identity and tested that approach in selected markets. Instead, it retained the Hardee's name while introducing elements of Carl's Jr.'s visual system and selected menu practices. The two brands shared ownership, operating infrastructure, and some marketing approaches for many years. Hardee's headquarters moved to St. Louis in 2001. CKE continued to develop the brand through menu additions such as Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts, new burger products, and international franchising. The brand's international presence has been particularly strong in the Middle East, where Americana Group and other franchise partners operate restaurants. Menus in many Muslim-majority markets adapt to local requirements, including halal beef and the absence of pork products. Hardee's has also operated, or previously operated, restaurants in countries and territories including Pakistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Kenya. Hardee's advertising went through a notable repositioning. During the 2000s and early 2010s, several CKE campaigns used sexually suggestive imagery and attracted criticism from advocacy groups. In 2017, CKE began moving toward food-focused advertising, and in 2018 it resumed more distinct marketing for Hardee's and Carl's Jr. Hardee's launched the Tastes Like America platform and brought back elements of its historic visual identity. Today, the brand remains primarily a franchised quick-service restaurant chain concentrated in the Southern and Midwestern United States, with additional international operations.
History
Wilber Hardee opened the first Hardee's restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina, on September 3, 1960. After the initial restaurant succeeded, Hardee discussed expansion with James Carson Gardner and Leonard Rawls. Gardner and Rawls opened the first company store in Rocky Mount in May 1961 and began building a franchise organization. Accounts differ over whether Hardee lost control of the company in a poker game or whether Gardner and Rawls simply bought out his interest; the latter explanation was advanced by Gardner and Rawls and supported by former chief executive Jack Laughery. Hardee eventually sold his remaining shares. Rawls and Gardner sold franchises to independent operators, allowing the chain to expand with relatively limited corporate capital. Hardee's Food Systems went public in 1963, with Rawls as president. Gardner left the company after winning election to the United States House of Representatives in 1966. By the end of the 1960s, Hardee's had nearly 200 restaurants across the Midwest and Southeast and had begun international operations in West Germany. The company also expanded into the Mid-Atlantic through Hardee Northern, a franchise organization associated with Acme Markets. The 1970s brought further growth and acquisitions. Hardee's purchased Sandy's in 1972 and later acquired Dee's Drive-In. The Big Twin and Big Deluxe were important products during the chain's high-growth period. In 1977, a breakfast test conducted by Boddie-Noell Enterprises led to the national introduction of made-from-scratch breakfast biscuits. Breakfast became a durable part of the brand's identity and remained especially important during later ownership changes. Imasco Limited acquired Hardee's in 1981. In 1982, Imasco purchased Burger Chef from General Foods and converted many suitable restaurants to Hardee's, while other sites were franchised under different names or closed. Hardee's also acquired Roy Rogers Restaurants in the early 1990s and owned Rax Roast Beef for a period. These transactions broadened the company's exposure to chicken and roast-beef formats, although the brand continued to be identified primarily with hamburgers and biscuits. Management changes and cost reductions in the early 1980s altered the burger recipe and removed the Big Twin, decisions that affected the chain's established product identity. In April 1997, CKE Restaurants Holdings acquired Hardee's from Imasco for $327 million. The combination included 3,152 Hardee's restaurants in 40 states and 10 foreign countries, together with 676 Carl's Jr. restaurants. CKE initially examined a complete Carl's Jr. conversion, including market tests in Peoria, Illinois, and Oklahoma City. The broader conversion plan was not adopted. Instead, Hardee's retained its name, adopted parts of Carl's Jr.'s visual style and lunch menu, and preserved the Hardee's breakfast program. CKE also acquired 557 franchised restaurants from Advantica in 1998. Hardee's headquarters moved to St. Louis in 2001. During the 2000s, CKE expanded the menu with products such as Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts and continued to refine the burger and breakfast offer. CKE sold selected company-operated restaurants to franchisees, including locations in North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, and Iowa. The company also developed international franchising, particularly in the Middle East through Americana Group. The first Middle Eastern Hardee's opened in Kuwait in 1980, and the brand later expanded across Gulf markets, the Levant, Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq, and other territories. International menus were adapted to local religious and cultural requirements. Marketing became a major strategic issue. Hardee's and Carl's Jr. used related campaigns during the CKE period, and several advertisements were criticized for sexualized imagery. In 2017, CKE began shifting toward food-focused communication, symbolized by the Carl Hardee Sr. character and a more direct emphasis on menu quality. In 2018, CKE formally separated the brands' campaigns. Hardee's introduced Tastes Like America and restored elements of its historic 1970s-era logo treatment. The brand continues to operate primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States, supported by franchisees and a network of international licensees.
- 2018
Separate Hardee's and Carl's Jr. campaigns resume
[1]CKE restored more distinct brand marketing, including Hardee's Tastes Like America campaign.
- 2015
300th Middle Eastern restaurant announced
[1]Hardee's announced the opening of its 300th Middle Eastern restaurant with franchise partner Americana Group.
- 2005
Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts introduced
[1]The chain launched a hand-scooped shake and malt platform.
- 2001
Headquarters moves to St. Louis
[1]Hardee's corporate headquarters relocated to St. Louis, Missouri.
- 1997
CKE acquires Hardee's
[1]CKE Restaurants Holdings acquired Hardee's from Imasco for $327 million.
- 1982
Burger Chef acquisition
[1]Imasco acquired Burger Chef and converted many locations to Hardee's restaurants.
- 1981
Imasco acquires Hardee's
[1]Canadian company Imasco Limited purchased Hardee's.
- 1977
Made-from-scratch biscuits expand nationwide
[1]Following a successful franchisee test, Hardee's introduced its breakfast biscuit program across the chain.
- 1972
Sandy's acquisition
[1]Hardee's acquired the Sandy's hamburger chain.
- 1963
Hardee's Food Systems goes public
[1]The company became publicly traded with Leonard Rawls as president.
Products and positioning
A mainstream American quick-service restaurant brand emphasizing charbroiled burgers, substantial sandwiches, made-from-scratch breakfast biscuits, and regional franchise familiarity.
Burger
Thickburger
The Thickburger platform represents Hardee's substantial, charbroiled hamburger positioning. It is associated with larger beef patties and a more premium presentation than the chain's basic hamburger offerings, and it became particularly important after CKE integrated elements of Carl's Jr.'s burger strategy into Hardee's.
Breakfast · 1977
Made from Scratch Biscuits
Hardee's made-from-scratch biscuits are a central breakfast product and one of the brand's most durable differentiators. The program began with a franchisee test in Virginia Beach in 1977 before being introduced across the system. Biscuits are used in breakfast sandwiches and are commonly paired with sausage, bacon, ham, chicken, or gravy.
Burger
Big Twin
The Big Twin was one of the sandwiches associated with Hardee's rapid growth during the 1970s. It helped establish the chain's identity around larger burgers, although the product was removed during early-1980s cost-reduction efforts.
Burger
Big Deluxe
The Big Deluxe was another major historic Hardee's sandwich. Unlike the Big Twin, it continued to be offered into the 1990s and represented the chain's emphasis on larger, more filling burgers.
Dessert and beverage · 2005
Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes & Malts
Introduced in 2005, this line expanded Hardee's dessert and beverage range beyond soft drinks and standard frozen offerings. It positioned shakes and malts as more substantial, indulgent menu items.
Limited-time burger · 2007
Big Shef
The Big Shef was a Burger Chef-associated product brought back in selected Hardee's markets after a trademark challenge involving the Burger Chef name. The revival was marketed as a limited offering in Indiana and parts of Ohio.
Controversies
2007
Burger Chef trademark dispute
River West Brands challenged Hardee's use of the Burger Chef name and trademark before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Hardee's subsequently promoted the Big Shef sandwich in selected markets while using Burger Chef references in associated advertising. The petition was withdrawn in 2009, with each side agreeing to bear its own legal fees.
2000
Criticism of sexually suggestive advertising
Several Hardee's campaigns, including More Than a Piece of Meat and Name Our Holes, were criticized by advocacy organizations for using sexualized imagery and innuendo in food advertising.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Tastes Like America
United States
Hardee's launched a distinct campaign using music and a restored version of its historic logo treatment to emphasize an American regional identity.
Outcome. The campaign supported CKE's decision to differentiate Hardee's from Carl's Jr. in tone, visual identity, and marketing.
- 2017Carl Hardee Sr.
United States
CKE introduced a bearded character, Carl Hardee Sr., as a symbolic senior figure who challenged the company's reliance on provocative advertising and redirected attention toward the food.
Outcome. The campaign marked a strategic move toward a more product-centered and broadly accessible brand voice.
- 2010Name Our Holes
United States
Hardee's promoted its biscuit holes through a campaign and website built around a deliberately suggestive name-selection concept.
Outcome. The campaign became another example cited in criticism of the chain's sexualized advertising.
- 2000More Than a Piece of Meat
United States
A provocative advertising campaign used sexualized imagery to promote Hardee's food. It drew criticism from groups including the Parents Television Council and became associated with CKE's broader advertising style during the period when Hardee's and Carl's Jr. shared marketing approaches.
Outcome. The campaign contributed to public criticism of the brand's advertising approach and was later superseded by more food-focused communications.
Brand decisions
2018
Separate Hardee's and Carl's Jr. brand marketingStrategyBackground
CKE concluded that Carl's Jr.'s provocative advertising style was not well aligned with Hardee's more family-oriented positioning.
Action taken
The company resumed separate campaigns and introduced Hardee's Tastes Like America platform.
Aftermath
Hardee's regained a more distinct visual and communications identity while remaining under common CKE ownership.
1997
Acquire Hardee's and combine it with Carl's Jr.M&ABackground
CKE sought to expand beyond the Carl's Jr. system by purchasing the substantially larger Hardee's chain.
Action taken
CKE acquired Hardee's from Imasco for $327 million and combined the two restaurant systems under common ownership.
Aftermath
CKE tested full conversion of Hardee's restaurants to the Carl's Jr. brand but ultimately retained the Hardee's name and breakfast identity.
Acquisition price. $327 million (April 1997)
1977
Roll out made-from-scratch breakfast biscuitsProduct launchBackground
A franchisee test indicated that a fresh biscuit breakfast format could become a significant daypart business.
Action taken
Hardee's introduced a made-from-scratch biscuit breakfast menu nationwide.
Aftermath
Breakfast became a defining part of Hardee's brand identity and remained an important reason for preserving the brand after the CKE acquisition.
Recent events
Hardee’s closes its final Auburn restaurant[3]
Reported:
Hardee’s permanently closed its final restaurant in Auburn, Alabama, ending the brand’s presence in the city.
Sources3 sources
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