Instead of the usual biscuits and gravy, customers who arrived at the Hardee’s on Princess Anne St. Friday morning were greeted with a sign taped to the door informing them of the fast food restaurant’s closure.
The drive-thru menu boards were stripped bare save for a similar notice, and a large box truck was spotted parked out front around 1 p.m., ostensibly to clean out the restaurant’s interior.
Reached by email, a Hardee’s corporate spokesperson confirmed that the location at 1700 Princess Anne St. will be closed permanently.
“This decision was not made lightly, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our guests,” wrote Beth Gerstenberger, Director of Communications for CKE Restaurants, Hardee’s parent company.
Gertensberger added that all employees at the Hardee’s location have been offered jobs at other locations. The Fredericksburg area has four other Hardees locations, at 11825 Tidewater Trail, 10706 Patriot Highway, 567 Warrenton Road and 9811 Courthouse Road.
“We appreciate our communities’ patronage and have enjoyed serving guests throughout the years,” Gertensberger wrote.
According to the city of Fredericksburg’s Geographic Information System (GIS), the Hardees building was constructed in 1981. The lot is owned by BNE Restaurant Group, which calls itself the largest Hardees franchise group in the country with “336 locations in four states.” In 2021, the total assessed value for the property (building and land) was $1.15 million.
