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The real numbers on owning a Hardee's franchise
Quick Service Restaurant (Burger/Fast Food) · FDD 2025 · from public state filings
DDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
Investment
$1,375,000–$2,637,395
Total fees
9.5% of sales
Outlets
1,571
Closure signals
17 ceased, 7 terminated
Lawsuits
9
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses only average and median revenue ($1.29M franchised avg) for 1,398 freestanding units FY25. No costs, expenses, or profit data provided. Excludes 173 units. No net income disclosed—severe omission.
Honesty grade D: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
System lost 183 franchised units over 3 years; 127 ceased operations 2023-2025 excluding terminations.
Legal history (Item 3)
9 matters disclosed.
Get the full Hardee's validation report — $149
The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Discloses only average and median revenue ($1.29M franchised avg) for 1,398 freestanding units …
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $1,375,000–$2,637,395, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Hardee's franchise owners make?
Discloses only average and median revenue ($1.29M franchised avg) for 1,398 freestanding units FY25. No costs, expenses, or profit data provided. Excludes 173 units. No net income disclosed—severe omission. We grade this disclosure D for honesty.
What is the Hardee's franchise failure rate?
System lost 183 franchised units over 3 years; 127 ceased operations 2023-2025 excluding terminations.
Is a Hardee's franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Hardee's scores D on disclosure honesty, carries about 9.5% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 9 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 35311-202601-01 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Hardee's or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.