October 24, 2013
Hardee's plans to open at least 35 restaurants in the Chicago market throughout the next seven years. As part of that expansion, Franchisee Frontier Star LLC began opening new units this summer in Bolingbrook and Midlothian, and will open its new Elk Grove Village restaurant Friday.
Each of the first 500 Elk Grove Village customers will receive a coupon book featuring one free Hardee's menu item a week for 52 weeks.
At a grand opening ceremony today, the franchisees will present $500 checks to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9284 and to the nonprofit Kenneth Young Center, which provides mental health and senior citizen support services.
"We make it a point to give back to the community, always," said Jason LeVecke, CEO of Frontier Star LLC, and the grandson of Carl's Jr. founders Carl and Margaret Karcher. "It was something our grandfather taught us by example: to be not only good business people but to be good people, good citizens."
Frontier Star will open restaurants in Prospect Heights, West Chicago and Warrenville in the next few months.
"We are scheduled to open 35 or more Hardee's restaurants over the next seven years in the Chicagoland area," LeVecke said. "That means we are bringing jobs as well as our famous premium menu to this market. Our successful August opening in Bolingbrook proved that Chicago-area residents are hungry for Hardee's premium 100-percent Black Angus Thickburgers, Made from Scratch Biscuits and other one-of-a-kind selections."
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