Although it once seemed impossible for emerging fast-food brands to overpower the already established giants like McDonald’s (MCD) , Burger King, and Subway, times have changed, and newer chains are making headway in the quick-service industry.
With younger generations favoring innovation, technology, and efficiency, older fast-food chains may be losing their appeal.
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This has led some classic chains to slowly reduce their footprints and sparked fear that they will be completely erased.
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If established fast-food chains don’t start formulating new strategies, following trends, and adapting to consumers’ needs, this fate might reach them sooner than anticipated.
To be fair, McDonald’s and Burger King aren’t going anywhere, but some other classic chains are facing increasing problems.
Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. close multiple locations.
Image source: The Washington Post/Getty Images
Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. merged after a strategic acquisition that may lead to their demise
CKE Restaurants has over 3,800 company-operated and franchised restaurants in 44 states and 43 countries worldwide under Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., two classic American fast-food chains.
The sister brands are known for their recognizable single-star logo and classic menus, which include charbroiled burgers, chicken strips, and fries.
Although they are owned by the same company and have the same restaurant colors and logos, slight differences include Carl’s Jr.’s Chicken Stars star-shaped nuggets and the Hardee’s breakfast menu.
However, these are minor differences compared to the chains’ similarities, which have made them almost identical, despite them once being two distinct brands with separate menus.
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Carl’s Jr. was founded in 1941 and had restaurants mainly on the West Coast. A few years later, Hardee’s emerged in 1960 and began opening locations all across the U.S.
CKE Restaurants, the owner of Carl’s Jr., acquired Hardee’s in 1997. This might have been the biggest detrimental move for both brands, since their success tracks have shifted drastically ever since.
Although the merger helped the company expand its footprint to nearly 2,500 locations at the time, it also caused Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. to lose their identities as individual brands, leading to overlapping menus and businesses that operated without a significant distinction or a focus on different consumer preferences.
Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. face mass closures nationwide
In 2023, Summit Restaurants Holdings, a major Hardee’s franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. This led the company to close nearly 40 Hardee’s locations across multiple states in the Midwest and South, which it attributed to underperformance across all restaurants and a lack of in-store foot traffic.
Although devastating, this event only began a series of continuous closures.
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Last year, Hardee’s closed locations in at least seven cities in Illinois and has already made multiple closures in 2025, including one in Delaware.
Carl’s Jr. also suffered a similar unfortunate fate. Over the last several months, it has closed multiple locations, with over 20 restaurants in Australia last year and one in Georgetown, Texas, which is being replaced by a new Chick-fil-A location this month.
Both fast-food chains already have a very limited presence on the East Coast and in the New England region, as there are no restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, or Vermont.
Because CKE Restaurants is not publicly traded, the fast-food chains’ exact restaurant counts are not available. The company has also not confirmed the precise number of restaurant closures completed in 2025 or planned for the rest of the year.
And, while the company has closed locations, Carl’s Jr. Restaurants and Hardee’s Restaurants still have over 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 43 foreign countries and U.S. territories.
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