Bryan Stalder
Contributor

The Hardee’s restaurant at 6323 Independence Ave. will serve its final customers on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, marking the end of an era for a longtime fixture in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast.

The closure follows a wave of Hardee’s shutdowns across the region that began in 2023, when multiple Kansas City–area locations closed as franchise operators struggled with rising food and labor costs, declining foot traffic, and mounting operational pressures. While many area restaurants went dark during that period, the Independence Avenue location remained open, becoming one of the last Hardee’s still serving customers in Kansas City, Missouri.

Hardee’s operates under the Carl Karcher Enterprises (CKE) restaurant system, founded in 1960 and currently overseeing thousands of restaurants worldwide under the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. brands. In recent years, CKE has been embroiled in high-profile legal disputes with large franchise operators, most notably ARC Burger, over millions of dollars in alleged unpaid fees and disagreements over operational requirements.

ARC Burger operates nearly 80 Hardee’s locations across several states, including, according to franchise sources, the restaurant at 6323 Independence Ave. The disputes center on corporate mandates such as expanded operating hours, digital technology investments, and remodeling requirements. Franchise operators have argued these demands were not part of their original agreements and have contributed to sustained financial losses. Those tensions have coincided with significant Hardee’s closures in late 2025 across the Midwest and South.

Earlier this year, CKE announced leadership changes aimed at stabilizing the brand, including the hiring of Ewan Davenport as President of International. Davenport brings more than 20 years of experience in the quick-service restaurant industry, with a focus on franchise operations and global growth. Company leaders have said the move reflects a broader strategy to support franchisees and refocus on sustainable operations.

While those corporate struggles play out far from Independence Avenue, the loss felt here is deeply personal.

The Hardee’s at 6323 Independence Ave. has been part of the neighborhood for at least four decades, serving and providing employment forgenerations of Northeast residents. For many, it was more than a place to grab a biscuit or a burger—it was a daily routine and a gathering place along one of the city’s busiest corridors.

^{Left to right: Dale Walker, Anthony Marstall, Sam Crowley, and Bob Hobler}

Among its most faithful customers are Sam Crowley, Dale Walker, Anthony Marstall, Donald “Don” Vanderlinden, and Robert “Bob” Hobler, who have met there for coffee nearly every morning for at least the past ten years.

“My uncle Jerry used to own Knight’s BBQ across the street,” Crowley recalled. “He may have started the coffee club when he retired. He told me to join him for coffee at Hardee’s, and we’ve been coming ever since.”

Crowley couldn’t recall exactly when Knight’s BBQ closed—he thought it might have been around 2016—though longtime residents remember it shutting its doors much earlier, sometime in the mid-2000s.

I joined the group for coffee this week, which may have been their last morning there. As usual, Crowley told jokes—none fit to print—while Walker talked about neighbors who have reached out to him with concerns about their gas meters after reading about his own experience, which The Northeast News covered on Nov. 26. Hobler scrolled through photos on his phone showing activity around vacant properties in the area, while Marstall reminisced about the many people who have drifted in and out of the coffee club over the years. Walker reminded everyone that former Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser stopped by to visit the group at Hardee’s in 2019.

^{Left to right: Dale Walker, former Mayor Mark Funkhouser, former Hardee’s Manager Amanda Banda, Independence Avenue CID director Bobbi Baker-Hughes, Sam Crowley, and me, Bryan Stalder in the bottom corner}

When asked what they might do next, Walker said the group may start meeting at “the McDonald’s on Prospect” (1421 Prospect Ave.,) though the move would mark the end of a routine that has anchored their mornings for years.

That sense of community was captured in a recent issue of The Northeast News, which published a haiku by Crowley reflecting on Hardee’s place in his daily life:

Every day at eight
Hardee’s is the place to be
Coffee with my friends

According to Michelle, the manager of the Independence Avenue Hardee’s, the restaurant will remain open Friday until food supplies run out, then close permanently. She said the closure affects more than 2,000 employees across the ARC Burger franchise, many of whom are losing their jobs just days before Christmas.

Michelle said employees were told they could file for unemployment and that the claims would not be contested, but that there is no severance package and no formal assistance being offered to help workers find new jobs. She expressed hope that CKE Restaurants LLC might reopen the location as early as next week, noting that the Independence Avenue restaurant is one of the busiest Hardee’s in the area. However, she acknowledged there has been no official confirmation from corporate leadership that reopening will occur.

Beyond its role as a restaurant, the Hardee’s has also been an important partner within the Independence Avenue Community Improvement District, assisting with trash cleanup efforts and contributing to security along the corridor.

As the restaurant prepares to close its doors, longtime customers are stopping in not just for a final meal, but to say goodbye to a place tied to memories, friendships, and everyday rituals. In a neighborhood that has seen constant change, the Hardee’s on Independence Avenue stood as a rare constant.

For now, the future of the building—and whether Hardee’s will return to this stretch of Independence Avenue—remains uncertain. The Northeast News will continue to follow developments and keep readers informed as more information becomes available. We’ll leave our readers with one more haiku penned by “Hardee’s Best Customer,” Sam Crowley:

Hardee’s club now gone?
I’ve met many people there
I’ll miss it so much