May Hardees' approval of a supplier be temporary?
Hardees Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
quired to lease a location from us or an affiliate, we must consent to your selection of the site for your Hardee's Restaurant. If you lease the Restaurant premises from a third party landlord, you must sign the Franchise Lease Addendum attached as Appendix G to the Franchise Agreement.
Approval of a supplier or a distributor may be conditioned on requirements relating to the frequency of delivery, reporting capabilities, standards of service, including prompt attention to complaints, sanitation standards, insurance and other quality assurance requirements or other criteria, and concentration of purchases, as set forth above, and it may be temporary pending a further evaluation of the supplier by us.
Source: Item 8 — Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services (FDD pages 39–42)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Hardees's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Hardees may grant temporary approval to a supplier. This means that even if a supplier is initially approved, Hardees reserves the right to re-evaluate them and potentially revoke their approval later. This condition applies to suppliers of products, equipment, goods, or materials.
Hardees may impose specific conditions on supplier approvals, such as requirements for delivery frequency, reporting capabilities, service standards (including addressing complaints promptly), sanitation standards, insurance, and other quality assurance measures. These conditions, along with purchase concentration requirements, can influence whether a supplier gains or maintains approval. Hardees may also conduct further evaluations of suppliers, making the initial approval temporary until a comprehensive assessment is completed.
If a Hardees franchisee wants to use a non-approved supplier, they must notify Hardees and provide all requested information, specifications, and samples at their own expense. Hardees, or a designated independent testing laboratory, may charge a fee to cover the cost of inspection and testing. The franchisee is responsible for these costs. Hardees will then notify the franchisee within 60 days whether the supplier is approved. A deposit of $1,500 is required to cover inspection costs, with the franchisee responsible for any additional expenses incurred during the facility inspection, which must occur before final approval.
Hardees retains the authority to periodically re-test approved suppliers at the franchisee's expense to ensure ongoing compliance with Hardees' specifications. Hardees will provide written notice if any approvals are revoked. This ongoing evaluation process underscores the importance of suppliers meeting Hardees' standards consistently to maintain their approved status.