Wilber Hardee opened the first branch for the fastfood chain in Greenville, North Carolina. Five months after, the first Hardee's franchisee came along and before anyone knew it the fastfood chain has spread all over Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Hardee's makes mean biscuits and has a reputation for these baked delights, but the fastfood chain decided to pare down its menu in 2003. With this change, Hardee's focused on its Thickburger line, 100% Angus beef burgers which came in hearty sizes. With the Thickburgers, Hardee's was able to establish its name further in the quick-service industry, but this time for top-notch burgers bursting with taste and quality.
Hardee's was acquired by CKE Restaurants, the same guys behind Carl's Jr., in 1997. To cater to the interests of CKE, some Hardee's locations have been converted into Carl's Jr. outlets. Dual branding is not uncommon though and has been utilized by other companies as well. Hardee's has a niche market in small towns where the bigger chains don't have franchises. In 2007, the historic first Hardee's franchise in North Carolina was demolished to pave the way for a veterans memorial park in memory of Jack Laughery, US Army veteran and former Hardee's executive.
Hardee's has also gone international, with locations in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Morocco. Other former international locations include: El Salvador, Jamaica, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Japan.