Will the fast food chain famous for biscuits and thickburgers open a location in Chicago?

In the South and Midwest, Hardees is beloved for its homemade biscuits and iconic thick Angus burgers.

Photo byMr. Blue MauMau/Flickr.com/CC 2.0

Eater Chicago reported a Hardee's fast food restaurant may open soon at 736 W. Division Street. Attached to the Exxon gas station, it would be the only Hardee's in Chicago.

According to Eater Chicago, Hardee's has not responded regarding the new store. However, when you check out the website, Hardee's is hiring for a Franchise Location at 735 W. Division Street in Chicago.

There are 1,800 Hardees in the U.S., but not one in Chicago

Located mainly in the South and Midwest, there are over 1,800 locations in the U.S., including 99 in Illinois, though mostly downstate.

There was previously a Hardee's in Chicago located on South Damen Avenue, but that location was only open for two years and has been closed since 2016. The new Hardee's location at the corner of Halsted and Division would be the only Hardee's within the city of Chicago.

What are Hardee's most popular items?

Made-from-scratch biscuits

Hardee's fans love the homemade biscuits, which according to the website, Hardee's has been making every day for over 40 years,

"Our designated Biscuit Makers rise before the sun, and start their mornings at 4 a.m., hand-making each batch of biscuits from scratch every 15 minutes for biscuit clouds of flaky, buttery goodness."

Thickburgers

Another fan favorite on the menu, and aside from biscuits, perhaps what Hardee's is best known for is its thickburgers. Coming in second on a Mashed ranking of Hardee's menu items is the Original Angus Burger.

According to Mashed, it's the potato bun that makes the difference,

This bun definitely takes this sandwich from standard to luxurious. The pillowy soft bun is super hearty, so it holds all of the other ingredients well."

Why are Hardee's and Carl's Jr. so similar?

Hardee's began in North Carolina in the 1960s. Carl's Jr. got its start 20 years earlier in California.

Carl's Jr.'s parent company bought Hardee's in 1997, and though each restaurant has kept its name and identities separate, the menus are almost identical.

The main difference is location. Hardee's can be found in the South and Midwest. Carl's Jr. is mainly in the West, with most locations found in California.

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