How much does a Hardee’s franchise cost?
Opening a Hardee’s franchise takes a total initial investment of $1,385,000 to $2,637,395, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median revenue of $1,294,442 across 1,071 outlets.
The document franchises Hardee’s Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Hardee’s franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $1,385,000 to $2,637,395. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Building ($525,000 to $735,395), Site Improvements ($100,000 to $550,000), and Equipment ($350,000 to $540,000). Together they make up about 69% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $25,000, about 1.8% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $25,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Opening Training Support Team Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $32,000 | $72,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Building2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $525,000 | $735,395 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Site Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $100,000 | $550,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Soft Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $50,000 | $215,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $350,000 | $540,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $50,000 | $95,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Point of Sale System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $55,000 | $72,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Initial Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $20,000 | $60,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Pre-Opening Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $18,000 | $23,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Additional Funds - 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $160,000 | $250,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 | $1,385,000 | $2,637,395 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31 |
Source Hardee’s, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 31, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Hardee’s franchisees actually report earning
Median Revenue
$1,294,442
Hardee’s' 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the FY26 Period. Basis: freestanding Hardee’s Restaurants operated by our franchisees.
Sample size: 1,071 outlets. The FDD also reports average revenue of $1,347,436. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- The restaurants included in this financial performance representation are all freestanding Hardee’s Restaurants located in the United States.
- This financial performance representation does not include information for Dual Concept Restaurants or Hardee’s restaurants operated from travel plazas, gas and convenience stores, colleges and universities, and airports.
- Hardee’s restaurants located outside the United States are not included in this financial performance representation.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Hardee’s outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Hardee’s, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 66-67, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Hardee’s outlets there are, and how many closed
Hardee’s ended 2026 with 1,287 franchised outlets and 198 company-owned outlets. In that year 7 franchised outlets opened and 89 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2024 through 2026, Hardee’s opened 28 franchised outlets and 254 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 225, from 1,512 to 1,287 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 23 were terminated, 18 were not renewed, 21 were bought back by the franchisor, and 192 closed for other reasons. Those openings and departures do not add up to that change, because the FDD's own Item 20 row for 2025 does not add up either. We publish the franchisor's figures exactly as printed; see the note under the table below.
On average, about 5.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 17.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,369 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 72 | 1,287 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 76 |
| 2025 | 1,393 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 1,3691 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 76 |
| 2024 | 1,512 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 103 | 1,393 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 76 |
Source Hardee’s, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 76, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Hardee’s compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Hardee’s' estimated range is $2,011,198. It costs more to open than 91% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 5.9% for Hardee’s. That is higher than 51% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Hardee’s' franchised system shrank 15%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Hardee’s is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Hardee’s files a new FDD
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