Is fast-food chain closing its KC-area locations? What we know
One of the major franchisees of Hardee’s — a Tennessee burger chain with several locations in the Kansas City metro — appears to be in trouble.
Locations across the nation have been closing in the past week, including spots in the KC area. Meanwhile, the corporation is embroiled in a multimillion dollar lawsuit with the ARC Burger franchisee.
ARC Burger operates nearly 80 Hardee’s restaurants across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and beyond. ARC acquired several locations following the bankruptcy filing of former franchise operator Summit Restaurant Holdings in 2023.
Employees at a few locations, in Olathe, in Overland Park, and on Independence Avenue, told The Star their restaurants would close in the next couple of days. Other Hardee’s spots — including 8021 State Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas, and 4011 S. Noland Road in Independence — could not be reached for comment.
The chain has eight locations in the KC metro, but Hardee’s did not say which are owned by the franchisee.
Hardee’s Restaurants is suing ARC Burger for breach of contract.
The lawsuit filed in the Middle District of Tennessee Court in late November details the deterioration of the relationship between Hardee’s and ARC Burger over the course of months, as the franchise allegedly failed to pay its contractual obligations to the corporation.
“ARC has failed and refused to remain current on its ongoing payment and other obligations to (Hardee’s Restaurants), despite all signs showing that ARC is profitably running the restaurants,” the lawsuit says. “Wherever ARC’s profits are going, they are not being applied to past-due or ongoing fees owed to HR.”
The franchise is being asked to hand over more than $6.5 million to Hardee’s.
Hardee’s declined The Star’s request to comment about the situation or to answer questions about whether any restaurants would remain open — or reopen — in the metro.
TV program Inside Edition posted a video online last week of a vacant Hardee’s in Blue Springs, which amassed nearly 1 million views. Customers walked into the restaurant to discover there were no employees, according to the outlet, though burgers on the grill continued to sizzle and fries continued to cook.
Customers then called the police to report the situation.
“In all my life I’ve never encountered a situation such as this,” said one customer interviewed by Inside Edition.
Inside Edition reported that employees had walked out mid-shift over a conflict.
Other states that have reported closures in the past few days include Georgia, Montana and Minnesota.
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 4:51 PM.