National Burger Chain Swiftly Shutters Several Illinois Locations

Parts of Illinois will have one less place to grab a burger following a fast food chain's recent closure of several locations in the state.

Which Restaurants Are Closing?

Champaign TV station WCIA is reporting Hardee's restaurants in Champaign, Springfield, Chatham, Virden and Monticello are now closed. The station was unable to obtain a full list of closures in Illinois.

KFVS in Missouri also reported a southern Illinois location in Carterville is closed as of today.

"This decision was not made lightly, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our guests," Beth Gerstenberger, director of corporate communications for Hardee's owner CKE Restaurants, told WCIA.

The Hardee's website says the company operates more than 1,800 locations throughout the U.S. and 13 other countries.

Hardee's Locations Closed Last Spring

Several Hardee's locations disappeared last Spring when franchisee group Summit Restaurant Holdings filed for bankruptcy. Restaurant Dive said the filing led to the closing of 39 locations throughout the country.

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Hardee's first opened with 15-cent hamburgers in 1960 in Greenville, North Carolina. By the mid-1980s, more than 2,000 locations had opened across the country.

According to the company's website, CKE Restaurants acquired Hardee's in a 1997 deal. The company took on 3,828 restaurants scattered throughout 40 states and 10 other countries with the transaction.