Hardee's, Made from Scratch - Life in America 

I ate at the original Hardees back in the early sixties. It was a big event to gather up a crowd of family and friends, drive all the way(20 miles) to Greenville for cheap burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Things tasted better back then.

The thing about Hardee's that sticks in my mind is how it was often the one of the first fast-food franchise to open in many rural Georgia towns. I'd often accompany my Dad for hunting or fishing trips and we would travel through many of these small rural towns and I noticed that the only places they had to grab a burger would be either a Hardee's or a Dairy Queen. Needless to say breakfast on these adventures came in the form of a Hardee's sausage and egg biscuit. Those biscuits were always a cut above the other chains breakfast offerings to this southern boy because they were made from scratch with buttermilk and tasted pretty close to what mom would make. It is still one of my preferred places to grab breakfast on the go over 40 years later.

mushroom and swiss is the bomb, absolutely LOVE these burgers, need one right NOW

I remember working summers with my uncle and we always stopped at Hardees for breakfast before heading off to the job site. The best biscuits of any fast food place.

Moral of the story his so called friends had evil motives from the start.

It' sad the 2 partners stole Mr. Hardees dream from him.

My fondest memory of Hardee’s was their breakfast biscuits when my family was out and about on Saturday mornings. Saturdays were the only day we had breakfast out and it was a real treat to get a hot Hardee’s sausage and egg breakfast biscuit. I remember them to be very tasty.

I remember when Hardee's used to do fried chicken and it was really good (also I was like seven so anything tastes good)

My mother worked at Hardee's in Succasunna, NJ back in the mid 70's. I remember my father checking me out of 3rd grade on one of his days off and driving us to Hardee's to get served by Mom and have a Hardee's cheeseburger. They were so good.... just like this memory

Wife and I went to our local this morning. We go about 3 times a week for the sausage gravy and biscuit. The biscuits are better than most people can make from scratch.

When I was teaching, once a week or so, the principal would bring in the cinnamon raisin biscuits for the faculty and staff. So good!

When I first started working in the late 1990's, I had to fly into Kansas City, MO from Chicago and drive a rental car to Topeka, KS. Hardees was the anchor restaurant at the Lawrence, KS rest area on the Kansas Turnpike at the time, and I would often stop to get a sausage and egg biscuit on my way to the office. Made my day!

Back in the late 1970's ,I lived in the Gratiot and McNichols on Detroit's Northeast side. There was a Hardee's located on Gratiot and Houston-Whittier. This was the very first Hardee's that I went to. When, Hardee's closed permanently the Hardee's building was torn down. Then, a laundromat was built on Hardee's property. This was one of the inner-city Hardee's in Detroit, Michigan. I miss the orange buildings that Hardee's had. P.S., Hardee's had the best food!

The Big Deluxe after church on Sunday in the 70s …. Best Smelling Parking Lot EVER!!!! Thanks.

What I mostly remember about Hardees is constantly going through the drive-thru, getting home, and discovering that what I had ordered and paid for was not what I got.

RIP: Husky, Big Deluxe, Big Twin and Big Cheese. Hardee’s was my go to burger joint late 70’s and early 80’s. I still visit from time to time. The quality of the burgers is better than most fast food restaurants but the facilities need updating in my area. I enjoy the channel.

I was in college when Hardees introduced their biscuits made from scratch. 3 days a week I had an early class at 7:30 AM and would either get Hardees on my way to class or on my way home from class almost every day.

My grandparents loved Hardees! In their final years when they went into s nursing home, mom travelled down there each year and stayed at a motel for several months at a time, to help take care of them. After a while she found a motel she particularly liked, and booked a room there every year. There was a Hardees on the same lot. Mom was a night owl and I was a lark, so whenever I visited her there, I would go to Hardees by myself for breakfast. The food, the service and the ambience were always great. Sometimes I stayed for hours reading my books and drinking coffee, and no one minded. Those weren't easy times, but that Hardees was always a bright spot. I wish I could go back there now and thank them once again. 💕💕

Those "brief negotiations" were probably too brief. Nothing will bring out the snake in people like a business deal. Hardees used to be fairly common here in Ohio but now you have to drive a good deal to find one as they are few and far between.

I've always been a Cale Yarborough fan when he drove Nascar. In the 80's, Hardee's was his sponsor. Always liked the look of his orange and white Hardee's race cars.

I had the California raisin figures. I loved them. They still have the best biscuits and gravy but they are so expensive now.

Another great video! Thanks for creating these videos which spare some great memories.

My grandpa loved Hardee's and so Do I miss you grandpa ☺️🥰🥰🥰

In the early 70's I remember my dad taking us to hardees in the south side of Jacksonville FL. I loved it growing up.

I worked at Hardee's all through high school and so did most of my friends. It was the 'in' place to be over McDonald's. The parking lot was a hangout in the summer and the place was packed after football games. The collectibles and promotions were great and I think I still have a Smurf glass. I remember everyone would panic when a bus pulled up. Some of the greatest memories of my youth.

Hardee's was the 2nd chain restaurant that came to our small city of Elizabethton, TN. When I was growing up there in the 70s, my grandfather would take me to Hardee's for a roast beef sandwich and a milkshake. It was difficult to get into during the early morning rush for breakfast. Traffic would back up out of the parking lot and onto Broad Street blocking the right-hand lane. The biscuits and gravy were worth the wait. Now, Elizabethton has several restaurants competing for your dining dollar and the Hardee's is looking a little worn around the edges.

I worked at Hardees for a very short while during a summer when I was in high school. Wore the hat and the little bolo tie. One night (I was not at work ) a masked man knocked at the back door, came in with a shot gun and stole all of the money. Later it was discovered that the gunman was actually the manager with another worker as his accomplice. Fun times. (1977) (except for that night of course)

The early 70s we had a Hardees on Long Island. I loved the cheeseburgers!

I’ve lived in CT all of my life and we had 2 Hardee’s that I knew of and went to in the 70’s.

During the 1970's, the late Cass Elliott did a jingle for Hardees restaurant TV commercials.

Great video! Always liked Hardee’s. Super sized burgers are awesome! I remember their classic commercial jingle from back in the day, “Hurry on down to Hardee’s, where the burgers are charcoal broiled” 👍

I remember when Hardee’s introduced fried chicken to their menu in the 1990s. That was my favorite.

MY FIRST JOB WITH AN SS#...1975, CARL'S JR. IN SAN JOSE ! I MET CARL IN MY HOMETOWN SUMMER 2007...HE WAS 90 AND GAVE ME THE 2 THUMBS UP !

I loved getting those hot dogs with mustard, ketchup and diced onions. They were served in a yellow styrofoam container. I was in college and had very little money, but we used to buy these for about a dollar with a student discount.

I remember Sandy's. It was my first experience with a fast food chain in Columbus, Ohio. The fries and burgers were unbelievable. I still can taste them in my mind 60 years later. Wish you did their story.

I loved their french bread sticks, sausage gravy and fresh biscuits and dip my potato rounds in the leftover gravy! Mmmmmmm. Love the video, been waiting for it to drop

Hardee's was my favorite when I was young. My brother Bruce worked there in 1976 - 77... I remember collecting Warner Bros. cartoon glasses..

I grew up and still live in the town that Hardee’s began in, Greenville, NC. I remember the original spot where the original Hardee’s was built and stayed in business on 14th street. I also remember a couple taking me down there when I was 6 years old. That was the time of my life!

I remember the California raisins figurines. I remember all the other things they sold for a limited time like the Looney tunes glasses, Road Runner race cars, Smurf glasses, and ACC basketball tournament posters,

My dad used to take me to Hardee's when I was a kid. We had at least seven locations in my area, but they all shuttered by the 2000's. A joint Hardee's/Shell gas station opened up around 2002 or so, and then in 2009, I actually helped start a second location in my area, and worked there for a few months until I found a better paying job. That store was in a rough location, so they moved it to a former Hardee's location that was open in the 90s. Then a few years ago, they built a brand new one not far from my house, so now we are back to three Hardee's locations.

There used to be Hardees in Massachusetts. In the late 70's we used to go for lunch to a Hardees in Framingham when I worked down the street from it. I recall the jingle 🎶 "Hurry on down to Hardees, where the burgers are charcoal broiled" 🎶

Thanks for sharing 😊

Hardees and Burger Chef were our McDonald's "alternatives" back in the 60's when Dad wanted to "change up" our "burger nights". Back in those days, it was a real treat to go for a burger, fries and shakes. We would anxiously await those special nights when we would "take a ride", then stop at one of the BIG THREE. Back then, families ate nightly home-cooked meals made by Moms, so to go out for "fast food" was something special indeed....

Used to eat at the Hardee's in Mansfield, OH back in the 80's and 90's.

There was a Hardee's in Danbury CT back in the 70s, my father was a manager there. I wonder what happen to it. I loved their chili dogs they had at the time, I live now in Dundalk MD and I have not seen a Hardee's here in Maryland yet. As for Carl Jr when I lived in San Francisco the one on Market St use to accept food stamps, that was a great Idea, I wish all fast food restaurants would accept food stamps.

My first job was at Hardee's in the middle eighties...they made the best cinnamon raisin biscuits..

I remember one on Rt. 75 Windsor Locks, CT mid-70's near where Bradley Field is.

Hardees always reminds me of my dad. He worked nights and sometimes he would surprise me with a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit or their famous biscuits and gravy for breakfast

Hardee’s was the first job I had at 17 in Virginia Beach in 19999. It was a great job and I loved it. I remember when they were well known for their fried chicken and roast beef. The roast beef wasn’t all that good, but the chicken was amazing. Those were the days

I was a manager of Hardees in 1983 after training at the Columbia SC Hardees Training Store. At that time it was under Spartan Foods, which also owned Quincey's Steak House. They housed both Hardees & Quincey's trainees at an apartment complex. I believe the training lasted 4 weeks, before you were sent back to the location you were to manage. At that time the Breakfast Program was the most profitable. As far as I know Quincey's no longer exist and two of the Hardees in my area have closed.

So 1960, then in 1969 my wife was born. Then on Jan. 16, 1984, she was working for Hardees. A day after her birthday!

We had a Hardee's here in Downtown Binghamton, New York from the late 80's to early 90's. It was gone by the mid 90's I believe. A fancy clothing store now occupies the space. Once I placed an order at the counter and had no money to pay for it. I never exited a Hardee's restaurant so fast in my life... lol

I recall a Hardie's in North Augusta SC located on Georgia Ave. in 1966-68 Outside seating only with cement tables and stools.

I worked at Hardees in the 1980's. They treated their employees good back then and the food was good. My favorite was the mushroom Swiss burger. Later the mushroom Swiss burger was crap. It went from being juicy with a lot of mushrooms and Swiss cheese to being a dried up one mushroom sketchy Swiss cheese flop.

Hardees open in our town in the mid 70s, both my sisters worked there during our high school years, now there is a car wash there. We have to go to the next town to get the best burger on the planet, love Hardees.

Cortland, NY had a Hardee’s in the 70’s as I worked there in 1976-77

The California Raisins!! I had all of them and I loved the cinnamon raisin biscuits.

Always loved Hardees biscuits. Especially the steak biscuit. Love the Big Hardee burger 🍔, I will always remember going into Hardees on Hwy 15 in Jackson,Ky. I bought my favorite Uncle Bill a bacon cheeseburger which turned out to be his last meal. He passed two days later from lung cancer. God Bless my Uncle Bill and Thank you Hardees for that memory. D

My father collected all the California raisin figures from Hardee's which are still sitting on a collectors shelf here at my house when he passed away in 98 & I took over his house. Also not mentioned in your video were the "Superbowl Pins" which featured 25 pins with the teams who played in each superbowl starting from 1967 to 1990 as well as the year, where it was played & the final score for each. I remember the old man constantly taking me to eat Hardee's just to try collecting them all (which he eventually did) and put them all in this nice custom display frame. Folks always comment on that frame asking how or where to find them and I sadly have to inform them that unless you were eating Hardee's every week back in 91 collecting then you'll probably have to hunt for them online if they are available. Didn't realize then how sentimental these things would be to me now, I miss you pops!

Hardee’s has legendary architecture that wasn’t highlighted in the video. The brickwork on the outside walls was a 45° slant the last 3’ closest to the ground. Super place in the 70’s & 80’s.

Great video as always ! I love this series. But there is in fact Hardees in New York State. There’s at least 2 for sure. Last year as a truck driver I recall seeing one in Poughkeepsie New York. Again, great video! Nothing captures that era like some images from good old burger and malt places. My whole area here in NY is dominated by them. We do a ground round as there is really no such thing as a “hamburger”. Lol. That term still cracks me up. Keep up the great work gents.

I think the Hardee's in my town was way on the other end of town or was in a bad neighborhood, so we never went there. But I have eaten at Carl's Jr. when I visited California. Loved their french toast sticks!

As always, beautifully-produced...with great love and nostalgia as the backbone ingredient. Unfortunately, we haven't a Hardee's location here in New York City. :(

Sometime around the year 1970 my siblings and I would spend weeks in the summer staying with our uncle because he lived on a hill just above Hardees. We would slide down the hill and order one of their char-broiled burgers with fries and we were in heaven! I was at the time and in the rural area I grew up in it was a 15-minute drive to anything resembling a fast-food restaurant. At that time Hardees was the only burger franchise in the county I lived in, and it was much later before we got our first McDonalds. Our uncle lived a couple of counties over and they didn't have a McDonalds either.

There were Hardee’s in New York. I. grew up on Long Island in the 60’s and 70’s and I had a Hardee’s in my town.

Biscuits and gravy and the old school bakery in Farmington on way to church was the best!!

I am from Rocky Mount and my boyfriend Bobby Alston's dad ran the first Hardee's there.. long ago but so much fun.

I worked for three different Hardee's . Hardee's biscuits can't be beat . I miss their octagon shaped beef patties . And the original " Big Deluxe " . I helped making biscuits , and fried chicken . I also worked overnights .

sad story - really unfortunate for mr hardee

Two Things I recall about Hardees growing up. In 1980-1985 out Football team use to receive a Big Burger from Hardees as our Football meal on Fridays in Pensacola Florida. Also, in the morning my buddy and I use to drive to Hardees at 6:30 in the morning prior to going to High School and get a sausage biscuit for .89!!

Wonderful. Love their breakfast food too.

There used to be two Hardee's locations in my hometown of Thomasville, NC -- one downtown, which was closer to my house, and one at Southgate Shopping Center on the south side of town. The downtown location has since closed, but the Southgate location is still operating.

We had one in my town. In the late 80’s and everyone would hang out there. The hot rod guys. Low riders. CB crew. We called it the crooked I for some reason 😂. Good times ✌🏼

I loved their sausage gravy biscuits . I always ordered extra gravy with it & added a crumbled up sausage egg biscuit to the gravy....good times

When I was a kid, my grandparents would occasionally take me to the Hardee's by their house. Unfortunately, that location closed a few years ago.

I live in California but I remember when Hardee's biscuits came to Carl's Jr. Our hockey team had a promotion for a free Biscuit and Gravy with a purchase of a drink.

I have always had a positive impression of Hardees. I like their burgers better than McDonalds, Burger King, or Wendy's. They are probably the least healthy but they taste the best to me. And their biscuits are awesome! I don't think they get enough love from the food crowd from groups like Mashed.

I was born in 1969, I swear I remember cabbage on their burgers. Their black light posters of universal monsters were the best. I wish I kept them.

My friend Jeff Burge worked at Hardees in Indy, one time he slipped an his entire arm went into the french fry vat. He went to the hospital, but Hardee's went on cooking french fries.

Growing up besides the big three we had Hardees, Sandies, and Burger Chef. Now I am an In & Out burger fan.

We had a Hardee's here in the Syracuse, New York area back when they had the blue and orange neon restaurant signs. It was the only one in the area. We were a test area for Hardee's. Our restaurant even had a kids ball pit/play area way before McDonald's even thought of it.

Hardee’s was in Connecticut in the 1970’s. They all closed - maybe due to the cost of doing business. I remember the trip,e thick shakes. They were so good. And their apple pies were outstanding.

I grew up with a Hardees just down the street from my house. I had all those raisins. Lots of memories.

Every Hardees I stop in looks like an old folks home in the morning. Nothing but seniors sitting around with nothing to do except gossip and tell each other they do not look a day over 79.

There was Hardees in Connecticut in the '70s. I am a little too young to remember eating there. I do remember driving by the locations though.

Yes I remember the first time one of the restaurant open in my town. Loved the place.

Had a few on Long Island that flopped between Roy Rogers and Hardees for awhile before both disappeared in late 80s.Now I am down in Florida and have eaten breakfast in a few of them lately.Biscuits still as good as ever but the cinnamon raisin biscuits are gone.Miss those!

My first job was at Hardee’s best tasting burger ever in the 70s

We did actually have Hardee's in Connecticut (and possible elsewhere in NE) in the mid 1970's. They lasted from about 1973 - 1978. All the ones I know of are still standing, repurposed, and most are still recognizable (they look like the building shown at 4:10).

Years ago there were Hardee's in New England. There were locations in Woonsocket RI and Sturbridge MA

There was a Hardee’s on S. Washington in Grand Forks, ND that had a drive through on the opposite side of the building from the kitchen. Food and money travelled by overhead conveyor to and from the customer. Very trippy to see in action.

I remember the original Hardee's in Roxboro NC. You had to park the car and walk up to the window to order. Then they built a new one and high school kids eating there after school.

I traveled extensively during the 80s and discovered the cinnamon raisin biscuits. Had to get to Hardee's before they ran out in the morning. It seemed like Hardee's was the gathering place for farmers to gab over a cup of coffee much like Dairy Queen is in the south. I was very disappointed that Carl's Jr didn't have the cinnamon raisin biscuits in the morning when they tried to push into the Houston market. I did enjoy the thick burgers especially the ones with the bread and butter pickles on them.

I worked for Hardees when I was young. I still have the california raisin guys

My grandmother loved Hardee's.

We were a Hardee’s family growing up. I remember wanting to win the Camaro go-kart, white with orange letters, they were giving away so badly! I loved their tenderloin sandwich so much!

Before 1974 our Hardees was walk up and out door dining only, small town in NC. The current one has been upgraded 3 times since then and is in the exact same location. My favorite things about Hardees were chicken sandwiches in the 80s, Moose Cups and ham biscuits. Hardees here now is bigger on fried chicken...lots of people buy chicken there regularly because it is a lot cheaper than competitors here and better. It is also a hangout for the geriatric crowd in the mornings, lol. Moose cups. I wish they would bring those back. Hardees is expensive to me but there are good coupons somethimes.

Had a Hardees in central CT when I was growing up in the 70's. Alas, when it acquired Roy Rogers it turned into a Roy Rogers, which eventually withdrew from CT and most of them changed into Arbys.

Prydes came first to Johnston SC, and a year later after a day of remodeling we had a Hardees. The best Roast Beef and Chicken Sandwiches ever. Bring back the Curley Fries.

Love the Frisco burger, thx, I remember the smiling 🌟, thanks Harden for the greatest burgers,RIP