What is the purpose of Hardees Discovery Day?
Hardees Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you are not currently a franchisee, HR also may require you to sign a Preliminary Agreement (the current form is attached as Exhibit E) under which you must agree to keep confidential the information provided by HR to you during Discovery Day. During Discovery Day, you must attend a 2-day meeting at HR's offices and at a Hardee's Restaurant during which you will meet with, and be evaluated by, various HR personnel. In addition, we may require that your 10% Owners (as defined in Item 15) complete, as we deem necessary and to our satisfaction, an operations overview, which lasts approximately 10 business days ("10-Day Operations Overview").
Source: Item 1 — The Franchisor and any Parents, Predecessors, and Affiliates (FDD pages 9–22)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Hardees' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Discovery Day serves a dual purpose: it allows Hardees to provide potential franchisees with confidential information and to evaluate them. If you are not already a franchisee, Hardees may require you to sign a Preliminary Agreement to maintain the confidentiality of the information shared during Discovery Day.
During Discovery Day, prospective franchisees must attend a two-day meeting at Hardees' offices and a Hardees restaurant. This meeting provides an opportunity for the franchisee to meet with various Hardees personnel. More importantly, Hardees uses this time to evaluate the potential franchisee.
In addition to the two-day meeting, Hardees may require 10% owners to complete an operations overview lasting approximately 10 business days. This overview allows Hardees to further assess the franchisee's operational capabilities and suitability. Therefore, Discovery Day is a critical step in the Hardees franchise approval process, allowing both parties to gather information and assess their compatibility.