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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Hardee’s Restaurants Franchise

Hardee’s is an American quick-service restaurant chain founded in 1960, operating under CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the same parent company as Carl’s Jr. With more than 1,700 US locations concentrated across the Midwest, Southeast, and East Coast, Hardee’s is one of the larger QSR brands in the country, with a franchise model built around a 20-year agreement structure and a preference for multi-unit development.

The menu is built around 100% Angus Beef Thickburgers, Made From Scratch Biscuits, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, and the Star Burgers lineup. Under CKE’s dual-brand structure, Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. can be co-branded in travel centers and convenience stores, expanding potential site types beyond traditional freestanding restaurant builds.

CKE has partnered with multiple drive-thru AI technology providers to improve order accuracy and guest experience, and the brand operates app-based ordering, loyalty programs, and digital marketing at the national level. The multi-unit development model, which requires a minimum of three restaurants for existing markets, positions Hardee’s as a portfolio-building franchise suited to operators with prior restaurant or franchising experience.

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Why buy a Hardee’s Restaurants Franchise?

Buying a Hardee’s franchise brings access to a QSR system with more than six decades of consumer brand recognition, national advertising, and a parent company with scale across two major burger QSR brands in the US. CKE’s development incentive program offers combined reductions in royalty and advertising fees across the first three years of a new development agreement, designed to support multi-unit expansion.

The menu’s premium positioning, centered on 100% Angus Beef Thickburgers and Made From Scratch Biscuits, gives Hardee’s a product-led differentiation argument in a competitive fast food market. National media spend, app-based loyalty, and digital ordering are managed at the brand level. The co-branding model with Carl’s Jr. and expansion into travel center and convenience store sites create additional development pathways for multi-unit operators.

Hardee’s Restaurants Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1960

    • Franchising Since

      1961

    • New Startup Cost

      $1,385,000 – $2,637,395

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $25,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $2,500

    • Royalty Fee

      4%

      of Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      5.50%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      1485

    • New Units Opened *

      7

    • Units Transferred *

      2

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,347,436

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Hardee’s Restaurants – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Hardee's initial training covers 10 weeks for franchise and senior management, combining 51 hours of classroom instruction with 400 hours of on-the-job training. Post-opening, franchisees receive field support from franchise business consultants, ongoing operations guidance, culinary and restaurant excellence resources, and marketing assistance covering national advertising and local store marketing. App-based ordering and loyalty programs are maintained at the brand level. Buyers of an existing Hardee's unit should confirm with CKE what initial training and system access transfers to incoming owners.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Hardee's targets operators with prior franchise or restaurant management experience. The model is staffing-intensive, with franchisees responsible for managing front-line crew and kitchen staff and maintaining consistent food quality and service standards across locations. The multi-unit structure means comfort with multi-location operations is important; operators who thrive here are process-driven, comfortable managing staff, and experienced at coordinating labor across QSR environments. Hardee's expects franchisees to be personally engaged with day-to-day operations rather than managing from a distance.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Hardee's was ranked #338 in Entrepreneur's 2025 Franchise 500, reflecting continued standing in one of the franchise industry's best-known annual rankings. With over 60 years of operation and parent company CKE managing two established burger QSR brands in the US, Hardee's carries consumer recognition that translates into built-in customer traffic for franchisees in its core markets. CKE's product innovation investment and technology partnerships have supported the brand's reputation for menu quality in a competitive segment. For resale buyers, local brand visibility is a meaningful asset to confirm in any specific unit's market.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US fast food and quick-service restaurant market was valued at approximately $257.6 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $358.5 billion by 2034, growing at roughly 3.7% annually (Renub Research). Demand drivers include consumer preference for convenience, digital ordering growth, and ongoing menu innovation. QSR is among the more resilient foodservice categories, maintaining consistent traffic from value-conscious and time-pressed consumers across economic cycles. For resale buyers, unit performance in Hardee's Midwest, Southeast, and East Coast markets depends on local competition, drive-thru throughput, and staffing stability.

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