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Hardee’s Closes 77 Locations in 8 States (Is Yours One?)

Here's what recent shutdowns mean for Hardee's diners across eight affected states.

By Hannah Diffey

Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Feb. 20, 2026

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Hardee's is a familiar roadside stop for biscuits at sunrise and burgers on the drive home. But for many communities, that yellow star has quietly gone dark. By the end of 2025, 77 Hardee's locations tied to a single franchisee had shut their doors, reshaping access to the chain across eight states.

For shoppers looking to stretch their fast food budget and plan meals more carefully, these changes show just how quickly local dining options can shift and how they can affect your finances.

Read on to find out if your local store was affected.

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Why Hardee's locations closed

The closures stem from a dispute between Hardee's corporate and a major franchisee known as ARC Burger. Court filings and company statements indicate the operator fell behind on required payments, including royalties and other contractual fees. When those issues weren't resolved, Hardee's confirmed it would terminate the franchised locations.

Rather than transferring the restaurants to a new operator, ARC Burger chose to wind down its entire portfolio. That decision triggered a coordinated shutdown of all 77 locations it owned, affecting multiple regions at once rather than a slow, store-by-store process.

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The role ARC Burger played in the shutdowns

ARC Burger wasn't a small local operator. It built a multi-state network of Hardee's restaurants, many in smaller towns and along highways where brand recognition mattered. For years, these locations served as community staples for breakfast meetings and quick family meals.

Because ARC Burger controlled all of its restaurants within some of the affected states, the closure decision had an outsized impact. That could mean that entire local markets lost their Hardee's presence in a single move, leaving gaps that independent diners or competing chains may now try to fill.

How many Hardee's locations were affected and why it matters

While 77 restaurants may sound modest in a national chain's footprint, the concentration is what makes this a big deal. These weren't scattered, isolated closures. They were clustered across eight states, meaning some counties and small towns lost their only Hardee's overnight.

For customers, that can mean longer drives for familiar menu items or higher prices at limited alternatives. For employees, it meant job transitions and uncertainty. The ripple effect touches local suppliers, landlords, and nearby businesses that benefited from shared foot traffic.

So, which states were affected? Here are the eight that lost their Hardee's at the end of 2025.

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1. Alabama

Court documents list Alabama among the eight states where ARC Burger owned and operated Hardee's restaurants that were closed by the end of 2025.

According to Hardee's Restaurants, the Alabama closures followed ARC Burger's failure to cure defaults under franchise and sublease agreements, including missed royalty and advertising payments.

2. Florida

Florida was identified by USA TODAY as one of the states where ARC Burger-owned locations were shut down as part of the 77-store exit. The lawsuit filed by Hardee's states that ARC Burger owned and operated Hardee's locations in Florida and failed to meet ongoing financial and contractual obligations.

Hardee's confirmed via email to USA TODAY that all franchised restaurants operated by ARC Burger in Florida and the other affected states would close following the dispute.

3. Georgia

Georgia is also listed among the eight states where ARC Burger operated Hardee's restaurants that were closed after the franchisee decided to wind down its entire operation. Legal filings cited in national reporting state that ARC Burger owned 77 locations across these states, including Georgia.

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4. Illinois

In southern Illinois, at least three Hardee's locations were reported to have closed abruptly in early December 2025, according to local news reports.

Local news confirmed that other Hardee's in nearby towns, such as Herrin, Murphysboro, and Harrisburg, remained open at that time, showing that not every location in the region closed simultaneously.

5. Missouri

Missouri was explicitly named in filings and reporting as one of the states affected by the ARC Burger shutdown of 77 Hardee's restaurants.

A local news summary noted that around 28 stores in the Midwest, including many in Missouri, were closing on the same day in December 2025 due to a legal dispute between Hardee's and the franchisee.

6. Montana

In Montana, local reporting confirms that a Hardee's restaurant in Helena has closed permanently. Signs at the Lundy Center location on the west side of Helena indicated the site is no longer operating, and staff were seen cleaning out the building as of late 2025.

Officials told MTN that the closure was initiated by the franchise owner, ARC Burger, and that the restaurant's lease was scheduled to expire at the end of the year as part of the broader shutdown of restaurants operated by that franchisee.

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7. South Carolina

Additionally, South Carolina was listed by Hardee's and in court filings as one of the states where ARC Burger-owned Hardee's restaurants were closed. While the exact locations affected have not been confirmed by the company, local reports note that one store in Hampton closed on Dec. 20, impacting 17 employees.

8. Wyoming

Wyoming was also listed as one of the eight states where ARC Burger operated Hardee's restaurants.

As of Dec. 20, 2025, the state of Wyoming has zero Hardee's locations left due to the company's mass closures. The final two locations were in Buffalo and Gillette.

What Hardee's is known for and what customers may miss

Hardee's built its reputation on made-from-scratch biscuits, hearty breakfast platters, and a menu that feels more "diner-inspired" than typical fast food. For older diners in particular, that combination of comfort and value has been a draw.

Customers may miss the consistency and familiarity, especially in towns where alternatives are limited. While competitors offer similar items, brand loyalty often comes from years of routine, not just menu options.

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Bottom line

The closure of 77 Hardee's locations shows how quickly a franchise dispute can reshape local dining locations. For customers, it's a reminder to stay flexible and explore new options when a familiar stop disappears.

If you're rethinking where to spend your food dollars, this might be a good moment to focus on ways to stretch your grocery budget at home, giving you more control over costs as restaurant choices change suddenly in your area.

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