Hardee's today
In 1997, having contracted to fewer than 2000 locations, the Hardee's chain was acquired by CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the Carl's Jr. fast-food restaurant chain (Imasco retained the few remaining Roy Rogers locations until 2003, at which time the trademark and franchise system were reportedly purchased by Frederick, Maryland-based Plamondon Enterprises.) Over time, some Hardee's restaurants were converted to serve Carl's Jr. products and use the Carl's Jr. star logo. Some locations were rebranded Carl's Jr. - that was a year after Wendy's and Tim Hortons purchased most of the Hardee's stores in Michigan. The name "charbroiling," but neither the actual process (no rocks) nor the original two signature burgers made by charbroiling, was reintroduced in 2001 with the addition of a Thickburger menu.
Hardee's moved its headquarters from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to downtown St. Louis, Missouri, in 2001.
CKE Restaurants has been dual branding some Hardee's locations with Red Burrito, similar to its Green Burrito/Carl's Jr. dual brand concept. This is a similar strategy used by Yum! Brands with its KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W Restaurants and Long John Silvers concepts to expand brands without the expense of new buildings and land.
Hardee's has found a niche market in smaller towns that may lack franchises of the other major hamburger chains. Hardee's closed its restaurants in Hong Kong on December 27, 2006, due to problems with franchising rights.
On March 12, 2007, the first-ever franchised Hardee's restaurant (located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina) was demolished to make room for a veterans memorial park named after Jack Laughery, a former Hardee's executive and U.S. Army veteran.
As of the fiscal year ended January 25, 2010, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,141 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,905 Hardee's restaurants and 1,224 Carl's Jr. restaurants. Hardee's recently opened another branch in Pakistan. In May 2011, Hardee's opened a branch in Alma-Ata, Almaty, Kazakhstan, at the TOO Mega Center Alma-Ata, with another store opening in the same city just weeks after. Although the stores are named Hardee's, they serve the Carl's Jr. menu. There are also four Hardee's branches in Muscat, Oman.
On October 1, 2013, it was announced that Hardee's would expand into the Northeastern United States. The first new stores will open in New Jersey and New York, followed by Connecticut and Massachusetts. The new locations are expected to open in later 2014 and 2015, with 200 stores expected to open in the next five years. Hardee's once had a larger presence in the Northeast in the 1990s, but since then has had only a small scattering of stores in Pennsylvania, most of them in the Harrisburg area as well as a couple of locations within the Pittsburgh area and a location in Breezewood, Pennsylvania.
Hardee's founder, Wilbur Hardee, opened his first restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina, on September 9, 1960.[7] On the strength of its distinctive burger menu items, including the Huskee, the chain experienced rapid growth byfranchising and, to a lesser extent, by acquiring other restaurant chains. The first company store opened in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, in May 1961 by James Carson Gardner and Leonard Rawls on McDonald St. in downtown Rocky Mount. That location has since been razed.[8]According to Wilbur Hardee, Gardner and Rawls won a controlling share of the company from him in a game of poker. After realizing that he lost control over his namesake company, Hardee sold his remaining shares to them as well.[9] The chain was headquartered in Rocky Mount until 2001.
all info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardee's