Wilbur Hardee Biography

Deathplace: Greenville, NC

Wilbur Hardee was the founder of Hardee’s hamburger restaurant chain. He opened his first hamburger stand in 1960, selling hamburgers and milk shakes for 15 cents each. In 1963, Hardee sold his five restaurants for $37,000. CKE restaurants later bought Hardee’s hamburger chain in 1997. At the time of his death there were almost 2,000 Hardee’s restaurants worldwide.