Review of the Hardees Franchise Opp and Startup Costs

Do you love the idea of getting involved with a fast food franchise? Are you looking for a powerful brand identity that will cause people to seek out your new restaurant once you get it open? The model of the Hardee’s franchise is that they want to encourage people to “eat like they mean it.” Many of today’s fast food places are reducing portion sizes and increasing costs to compensate for slimming margins.

At Hardee’s, you’ll provide a customer with a completely different experience. You’ll hand out larger portions, unique burgers like you’d find at a diner or sit-down chain, and fresh ingredients to create a better burger experience. Are you ready to compose your success story?

How Much Does It Cost To Become a Hardee’s Franchisee?

The franchise fee for Hardee’s depends on the level of unit development that you’re planning on. If you just want one unit, then the franchise fee will be $25,000. If you want multiple units, then there is a minimum agreement of 3 restaurants and the franchise fee for each would then be $15,000 each. The minimum financial requirement to qualify for a franchise is a net worth of $1 million and liquid assets of at least $300k. Hardee’s is looking for people who have restaurant or franchise experience.

There are also royalties that must be paid to CKE Restaurants, which is the home of Hardee’s and its partner franchise, Carl’s Jr. It’s a 4% royalty on your gross sales and there’s also an advertising fee of up to 5% that applies. You’ll also have a development fee that must be paid for each unit that you wish to get started and that’s another $10,000 each. The franchise agreement is good for 20 years once signed.

In return for the initial fees, you’ll be given a secure territory that will keep other franchises in CKE Restaurants away from your customer base. You’ll also receive 10 weeks of training in the best practices of this franchise and this can include your senior management. They’ll help you to develop your site, assist with the submission of a real estate package, and come into your franchise to help train your crew as well.

What Other Kinds of Support Will You Receive As a Franchisee?

One of the biggest challenges that are faced in the start-up franchise is to source the equipment that is needed to meet the standards of the home organization. Not only will CKE Restaurants help you with your site selection and overall restaurant design, but you’ll also receive help with equipment ordering and other site related needs throughout the entire construction process.

CKE Restaurants also offers a full field support team for their Hardee’s franchisees. Their sole job is to assist you with your business in whatever way that they can so your franchise can be successful. There are consistent operations reviews so that the best practices can always be updated to increase margins and overall profitability. There’s a state-of-the-art kitchen that is always providing ongoing research for new recipes and products and any question can be answered quickly with a quick phone call or e-mail.

Franchisees with Hardee’s also continually benefit from the creative marketing team that will help you with your local store’s strategic advertising efforts. This is all done to support the brand, which has been promoting a quality burger to local communities since 1964. The branding has achieved several firsts in the industry, including the turkey burger that was introduced in 2011. More famous than that, however, are the made from scratch biscuits that were first introduced four decades ago.

Franchise Flexibility Is What Sets Hardee’s Apart

There’s a number of different ways that you can make your new franchise stand out from the rest of the fast food pack! One of the most common ways is a co-branding effort that CKE Restaurants has launched to offer other themed menu items, like Red Burrito. Hardee’s franchises that have included Red Burrito tend to have strengthened sales throughout the day, increased transactions, and an overall better market appeal.

The Hardee’s menu is packed full of premium choices that can help a customer specifically tailor their experience to meet their needs. From hand-scooped ice cream shakes and malts to a simple substitution of sourdough bread instead of a hamburger bun, the menu you’ll have as a franchise will help each customer leave your restaurant leaving full and satisfied. When you’ve co-branded your restaurant with Red Burrito, you’ll have even more diversity in your products that will drive even more traffic!

Best of all, the franchising platform for Hardee’s allows for virtually any type of store format. This allows you to take the irreverent, bold image that resonates throughout the targeted population groups to bring in local revenues that competitive franchises in other brands just can’t achieve. Add the low-carb burgers, the meat-on-meat burgers, and the 100% Black Angus beef to the mix and you’ll have a winning combination!

Is Hardee’s the Right Franchise For You?

With distinctive branding, innovative products, and the chance to give your customers the ability to indulge without having to pay a huge price to do it, there is a lot that a Hardee’s franchise could provide as an investment. With the ongoing help of CKE restaurants, you’ll be able to select the right location, get the workflow right, and design an attractive interior that will want customers to keep coming back for a visit when they want a great burger!

If you can meet the financial requirements as a franchisee, then having a conversation with CKE Restaurants about your desire to join their family would be the next step to take. Once your information has been verified and you’ve been able to show that you have a passion for great burgers and innovative customer service, then you’ll be well on your way toward a new and successful business venture! What are you waiting for? Apply online today!