Hardee’s finishes complete remodel

By James Clark

Amy Russell, left, and Allie Ann Latimer enjoy a meal Friday afternoon at the newly remodeled Hardee’s.

I’m not sure what it is, but every time people see activity around Hardee’s the first reaction is to think the longtime local restaurant is going out of business. I guess folks are still a little shocked about Shoney’s, Jack in the Box, Ryan’s, and CiCi’s Pizza.
Anyway, Hardee’s is not going out of business. In fact it’s quite the opposite because Hardee’s just invested a big chunk of money remodeling the entire inside of the restaurant.
‘Hardee’s is committed to McMinnville,’ said general manager Dick Stepien. ‘They want to stay here another 30 years. They would have never spent this kind of money otherwise.’
Hardee’s closed its lobby Sunday at 3 p.m. and construction crews worked around the clock to completely redo the inside and reopen Friday at 10:30 a.m. Hardee’s now has:
‘ a new tile floor
‘ new signs
‘ new tables and booths
‘ new surveillance equipment
‘ new paint
‘People were calling me at home wondering if we were closed,’ said Dick. ‘We weren’t closed. Just the lobby was closed.’
I’m not a fast food kind of guy. Even with two small kids, I rarely eat fast food because I choose to pay close attention to the food I eat and the nutrition it contains.
That said, I must admit if I am going to eat fast food, Hardee’s is the best in the business. For breakfast, Hardee’s undoubtedly has the best biscuits and those thick burgers really are comparable to burgers you get in nicer restaurants (even if the commercials are weird).
The chain seems to be prospering too. Seven Hardee’s in Middle Tennessee are getting complete remodels, and there’s talk of building a few new stores in the area.