Have you ever been to a Hardee's?
The fast food chain, known for its enormous and indulgent burgers, plans to open 200 new outposts over the next five years. According to the Associated Press, the expansion will take place across the Northeast and could eventually include up to 1,000 new locations, but no timetable has been mentioned. Hardee's currently has nearly 2,000 restaurants. The expansion is reported to being in New Jersey and New York, and along the way will include Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The company said that the first restaurant could open as soon as 12 to 18 months.
"[The Expansion is] a massive advance into prime territory and a tremendous opportunity for a highly anticipated return," said Jim Sullivan, senior vice president of domestic franchise development for CKE Restaurants, based in Carpinteria, Calif.
The restaurant will offer stand-alone and include drive-thru services, according to Bhupen Patel, the franchisee who will operate the new restaurants. According to the AP, Patel said he'd been seeking a burger brand partner.
"As soon as I learned there was interest and the potential to reopen Hardee's here in the Northeast, I knew I had found that I was seeking," Patel said.
Hardee's is known for their provocative advertising and huge "calorie-laden" hamburgers. The eatery is based in St. Louis and is a division of CKE Restaurants. The chain used to operate restaurants in the Northeast, but all had closed by the 1990s. Hardee's was acquired by CKE in 1997 and has experienced a turnaround since then.
