# Hardee's Franchise Funding for Existing Owners

> Funding for existing Hardee's franchise owners: biscuit-line ovens, charbroilers, early-morning crew payroll and food costs, sized from your restaurant deposits.

Source: https://mfebusinessloans.com/franchise-funding/brands/hardees/ (Merchant Fund Express, updated 2026-10-21)

## The short answer

Already running a Hardee's and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing Hardee's owners: business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. Because a Hardee's day starts with scratch biscuits hours before lunch, we read the morning-heavy deposit pattern, franchisor drafts and food bills together. A complete file gets a same-day decision, and funding often follows the next business day.

## Who is this page for?

Owners and operating partners of open Hardee's restaurants, from a single small-town store to a multi-unit group. Hardee's says its Biscuit Makers start at 4 a.m. and make each batch from scratch every 15 minutes, and the menu leans on charbroiled Angus burgers and hand-breaded chicken tenders. The kitchen is labor-heavy and the breakfast window is decisive: ovens, broilers and fryers must be ready before the first car arrives.
The footprint is strongest in the Midwest and Southeast. See the burger franchise funding sector guide and our restaurant industry page.

## What the franchisor publishes

Hardee's: facts from official sources
Franchisor: Hardee's Restaurants LLC (source)
Parent company: CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (Franklin, Tennessee), which also runs Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC (source)
Locations: more than 1,800 restaurants across the U.S., plus locations in 13 countries (as stated by Hardee's, checked Oct 2026) (source)
US franchising status: CKE lists Hardee's and Carl's Jr. franchise opportunities on its corporate site; franchised Hardee's restaurants operate in the U.S. (source)
Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.

## Every way to fund your Hardee's location

Already running a Hardee's location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
Franchise business loan: Fixed payments for a dining room refresh or planned kitchen upgrade, for stores with three or more years of history.
Merchant cash advance: A fast advance on card settlements, repaid as a share of sales so a slow winter morning costs less.
Revenue-based financing: Payments that follow deposits, useful for a rural store whose traffic moves with harvest and school calendars.
Business line of credit: A reusable line for food and paper orders and holiday biscuit-pack demand.
Equipment financing: Biscuit ovens, mixers, charbroilers, fryers and walk-ins against a vendor quote.
Working capital: Cash for an urgent repair or payroll gap, sized on recent deposits.

## Which problems do Hardee's owners bring to a funding review?

The biscuit line goes down before 5 a.m.
A failed oven or proofer can wipe out the most profitable part of the day. Owners ask for quick equipment repair funding while a replacement quote is pending.
Charbroiler and fryer wear
Flame-grilled burgers and hand-breaded tenders keep broilers, fryers and hoods running hard. Equipment financing spreads a lumpy replacement over its useful life.
Early-shift payroll and food costs
A scratch-baking crew is paid before deposits settle, and flour, dairy and chicken are bought ahead of sales. See restaurant payroll funding.

## Which product fits which Hardee's need?

Need | Product | Published requirement it leans on | What to send |
Biscuit ovens, mixers or proofers | Equipment financing | Vendor quote and useful life | Quote, 3 months of statements |
Charbroiler or fryer emergency repair | Working capital | Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue | Repair invoice, statements |
Food, paper and holiday demand | Line of credit | Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, about $25K/month revenue | Statements, debt schedule |
Dining room or drive-thru refresh | Business loan | Tier 1, applicant owns at least 50% | Contractor estimate, statements |
Seasonal dip in a rural store | Revenue-based financing | Tier 2: minimum daily balance $800 | Statements for that entity |

## How does the review read a Hardee's location?

Entity: the LLC that holds the franchise and the account its card batches land in.
Deposit rhythm: a breakfast-heavy store settles much of its day before 10:30 a.m.; we read count, consistency and average balance across the month.
Franchisor and distributor drafts: royalty, advertising and weekly food drafts are normal recurring costs; see royalty debits in a funding file.
Existing positions: current advances or loans are counted; a new structure can sometimes lower the combined payment.

## What should a Hardee's owner send?

About 3 months of business bank statements (bank PDFs) for each store entity
The five-minute application, which opens with a soft credit pull
Vendor quotes for ovens, broilers, fryers or refrigeration
A short list of current advances, leases and loans
Full financials only above $250,000
Merchant Fund Express accepts ITIN applicants and offers Spanish-speaking support.

## A hypothetical Hardee's budget scenario

Picture a Hardee's with $92,000 in monthly deposits. Food and paper drafts are $29,000, payroll $27,000, franchisor drafts $7,400, rent $8,000 and existing payments $2,600. The owner wants two biscuit ovens and a charbroiler quoted at $58,000.
Monthly deposits$92,000
Less food, payroll, franchisor drafts, rent, existing payments$92,000 - $29,000 - $27,000 - $7,400 - $8,000 - $2,600 = $18,000
Equipment quote$58,000 over 48 months, about $1,208/month before cost of funds
Share of what remains$1,208 / $18,000 = about 6.7%
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.

## What if you are buying or opening a Hardee's instead?

A store that has not opened has no deposits to read, so it needs operating history first; see buying a franchise. An owner adding a store is read on current deposits, entity by entity (second-location funding). Taking over an operating store follows franchise transfer financing.

## Keep reading

Burger franchise funding: how drive-thru burger concepts are reviewed
Franchise brands we cover: every brand page in this guide
Franchise equipment financing: quotes and term length
Repair or replace equipment: the math behind the decision
Franchise payroll funding: crew hours ahead of deposits

## Common questions

### Can I finance biscuit ovens and charbroilers for my Hardee's?

Yes. Equipment financing is reviewed against a vendor quote and useful life; ovens and broilers usually suit a multi-year term.

### My store is busiest at breakfast. Does that hurt the review?

No. A breakfast-led day still produces daily card settlements, and that consistency is what we read.

### Can a Hardee's group fund just one store?

Yes. Each entity is read on its own deposits and obligations.

### Do I need tax returns for a first review?

Usually not. Bank statements and the short application start it; full financials come in above $250,000.

### Are you affiliated with Hardee's?

No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Hardee's name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.

Merchant Fund Express is independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Hardee's or its franchisor.

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: https://merchantfundexpress.com/current-application.html?utm_source=mfebusinessloans.com&utm_medium=franchise&utm_campaign=franchise-funding&utm_content=hardees