# Why are all the Hardees going under? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724 "2002-07-31T17:28:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/21 "2002-08-01T01:44:49Z")
Why are all the Hardees’ going under? Simple. It was explained last night on _The Daily Show with John Stewart_. It’s because Hardee’s **wasn’t** named as one of the defendants in that fat guy’s class-action suit against the fast food industry! (“For goodness sake, we _fry_ the_bun_, fer cryin’ out loud!”) Think of all the publicity Hardee’s missed out on by not being listed alongside McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken! ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/22 "2002-08-01T02:22:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*Because they quit putting Hot Ham ‘n’ Cheese on a nice seeded bun, and started using cheap hamburger buns instead! > Bastards . . . \*\* Both Hardee’s in town (Duluth, MN) put their Hot Ham ‘n’ Cheese on seeded buns. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Tamex_ > **I can’t think of one Hardee’s in Minnesota that is still open.** One in Albert Lea. (Was a Hardee’s, became something called “Burgers and More”, then returned to being a Hardee’s. Town rumor has it that the original Hardee’s’ manager lost his franchise because of an incident involving a jar of pickles and a bodily fluid. This is most likely just a rumor.) One in Austin (MN), unless it left within the past few months. I used to eat there everyday between classes when I attended the community college there. Two in Duluth. One of these just opened within the past month. (That’s why I read the title of this thread and immediately thought, “Huh?”) I swear I’ve seen a couple others in various towns along the way from Duluth to Albert Lea. I’ll be taking that journey again fairly soon, so I’ll keep my eyes open. And I can also attest that the Hardee’s in Minnesota serve their famous Made From Scratch[sup] **TM** [/sup] biscuits. They’re darned good. They now, however, do not serve a _real_ big cookie treat, and instead sell an inedible piece of crap in plastic. I think the plastic probably tastes better. Bastards. I have many fond memories of their hot gooey big cookies. mmm _BlackKnight, irrationally smug that Duluth has the same number of Hardee’s as Saint Paul._ ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/23 "2002-08-01T03:07:38Z")
All the Hardee’s in the DC area vanished in the early '90s. It was kind of complicated: the Roy Rogers chain (which featured the world’s best roast beef sandwiches) was bought by Hardee’s and all the restaurants converted. This went over like a lead balloon, since Hardee’s food had a reputation as singularly mediocre. So after a year or two, all the Hardee’s were converted to Roy Rogers (even the ones which had always been Hardee’s). By the late 1990s, popular tastes had changed and all the Roy Rogers (save for one or two holdouts) were closed down. The two closest to my house became a Wendy’s and a [Patio.com](http://Patio.com) store, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/24 "2002-08-01T03:31:24Z")
[Hardee’s in Minnesota.](http://www.hardeesrestaurants.com/finder.cfm?searchtype=Domestic&zipcode=&city=&state=MN) As of today, at least. 😉 The one in St. Cloud shut down several years ago. Within the past two months the store re-opened as a Wendy’s. I **love** Wendy’s. I don’t miss Hardee’s a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/25 "2002-08-01T04:25:34Z")
Oh boy! Next time I’m in Duluth, I’m gettin’ me a REAL Hot Ham ‘n’ Cheese, baby!!\* \*Really, we do take long weekends up there sometimes. Great city! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/26 "2002-08-01T05:53:35Z")
The local Hardee’s here became a Burger King. I miss it just because of the Sourdough burger (they _fry…the…bun!!!_). Carl’s Jr has a version, but it’s not nearly as good. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/27 "2002-08-01T06:00:34Z")
That list is not quite up to date. I know for a fact that this Hardee’s is boarded up. > [@](#): > > HARDEE’S 1501227 > 5280 CENTRAL AVE N E > COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, MN 55421 > (612) 571-0684 They lost their KMart, too. It’s so sad… I also suspect that the Hardee’s in Hutchinson is gone (and I know that their KMart is. Hmmm…) because I think that that’s the one that inspired the Hardee’s conversation with my mom. Maybe it was a different one, though. I don’t really miss Hardee’s (after all, Arby’s still has curly fries), but they’ve boarded up most of their restaurants in the Twin Cities, so I wondered what happened. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724/28 "2002-08-01T07:05:37Z")
There are still a couple of Hardees in Wisconsin, but most of them are in small little towns, like Park Falls (that’s the same little town that has a True Value hardware store that also sells handguns, beer, and hard liquor). It’s too bad, too. I travel a lot for my job, and when forced to go to a Slop House (my term for fast food joints) I’ll take Hardees over “The Klown” any day. (With the exception of their excellent fries, Mickey D’s food sucks!) I remember when Hardees were Burger Chefs’, one of the best hamburger places ever! Christ, I’m only 42 and this thread is making me feel really old! **Hayduke** , you’re grounded!😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-all-the-hardees-going-under/121724.md?page=1)