#Hardee’s December 16
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In December 2025, many of us will take part in the 30-Day Rewind Coach4aday Challenge. Each day, we’ll rewind, review, reflect or—in my case—re-blog one of my nearly 4,000 posts that highlight experiences shaping us into better versions of ourselves. If you don’t have a blog, your reflections can come from a journal or even a meaningful memory tied to something learned, a goal reached, or a personal effort to improve. These daily habits of looking back will serve as a powerful springboard for taking on a new and ambitious challenge in 2026. Today my rewind is on a story about the first HARDEE’S Restaurant.
On September 3, 1960, Wilbur Hardee opened a new restaurant, a drive-in, on the busy corner of 14th and Charles Streets in Greenville NC. My blog post on February 5, 2016, reviewed the history of that being the first of many Hardee’s Restaurants in the US.
Rewind-30 Day Challenge Guidelines
As with previous challenges, participants are encouraged to adapt the guidelines to fit their own circumstances. If you can, commit to sharing a rewind, review, or reflection during the month of December
- Rewind, review, or reflect on a past effort to improve, a lesson you learned, or a goal you accomplished.
- Share with a challenge partner if you have one.
- Join the conversation by posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge
December 16th-Hardee’s
The very first Hardee’s had no tables, no waiters and only a few items on the menu. But, the drive-thru restaurant was an immediate success. The main attraction was a 15-cent fresh-ground, lean beef burger that was made to order on a custom-build charcoal broiler.
The successful business model of Hardee’s soon attracted interested partners. Jim Gardner and Leonard Rawls made the trip across the state to meet with Hardee and discuss plans for expansion. The trio soon formed a partnership and opened the first Hardee’s franchise restaurant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on May 5, 1961.
Wilbur Hardee eventually severed ties with his partners, who quickly turned the Hardee’s name into one of the most recognized restaurants in the nation.
First corporate logo of Hardee’s from 1960-1971
Hardee’s Logo today
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