ST. LOUIS – Wilbur Hardee, founder of Hardee’s Restaurants, passed away Friday. He was 89.
Hardee opened the first Hardee’s quick-service restaurant in September 1960 in Greenville, N.C. He had not been directly involved with the company for many years, but had been invited to participate in the chain’s fortieth anniversary. Hardee’s was bought by Carl’s Jr. owner CKE Restaurants Inc. in the 1990s.