Tornado-damaged Hardee’s in Sanford Reopens and Will Give Back to Community

SANFORD, N.C. (May 5, 2011) – Heavily damaged by April’s deadly tornadoes, the Hardee’s at Southside Plaza here will reopen on Friday and immediately give back to support the community during this difficult time. 

The Hardee’s at 3002 S. Horner Blvd. reopens at 11 a.m. Friday after undergoing around-the-clock major repairs that started immediately after the restaurant was struck by winds that also destroyed nearby businesses and homes.  

Continuing through next Sunday, May 15, the reopened Hardee’s will contribute 10 percent of sales directly to the Red Cross chapter to help local victims of the tornadoes. The proceeds will come from all sales no matter what is purchased or the time of day, according to the Hardee’s franchise operator, Boddie-Noell Enterprises. 

In addition, the restaurant will distribute coupons with special deals at the Hardee’s location as a gesture to the community. Hardee’s also will have a coupon insert  in the Sanford Herald. 

“We want the community and our customers to know that we stand with them as many people and businesses are still hurting,” said Mike Boddie, President of Boddie-Noell’s restaurant division.       

Boddie said the company made a top priority of reopening the Hardee’s location which was heavily damaged April 16th during the storm with virtually all of its plate glass exterior shattered, its roof damaged, a destroyed heating and air-conditioning system, mangled signage and much more. Fortunately, none of the restaurant’s employees or guests at the time received significant or life-threatening injuries.  

Affected employees were given the opportunity to continue work in the company’s other area Hardee’s locations. 

“We felt it was important to the community that, where possible, some businesses get back on their feet on soon as they could, even those right in the middle of the damaged area,” Boddie said. 

The repaired Hardee’s will resume normal hours on Saturday. The restaurant will be open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Boddie-Noell also operates two other Hardee’s locations in Sanford – 813 S. Horner Blvd. and 2255 Jefferson Davis Hwy. Neither of these restaurants’ operating hours have been impacted. 

Boddie-Noell Enterprises (BNE) has been a Hardee’s franchise operator continuously for 49 years.  BNE is the largest Hardee’s franchise operator in the United States with 335 restaurants across four states (North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina). The company employs more than 12,000 people and is headquartered in Rocky Mount, N.C. For more information about the company, visit www.bneinc.com.