HELENA — The last Helena Hardee’s restaurant, located at the Lundy Center on the west side of town, has closed permanently.
On Tuesday, staff were seen cleaning out the building at the corner of Euclid Ave. and Benton Ave., and signs stating “Permanently Closed” were taped to the door and drive-through.
MTN spoke with Justin Bloom, president of the Lundy Center, who said the franchise owner, ARC Burger, had given them notice that they were going to be closing. Their lease was scheduled to run out at the end of the year.
The location had been operated by Summit Restaurant Holdings until 2023, when they filed for bankruptcy. The franchise was sold to ARC Burger as a part of that process.
Bloom noted they have found another drive-through service to go into the location, and expects to be able to make the announcement officially as soon as next week.
MTN reached out to ARC Burger, but calls were not immediately returned.
The closing of Hardee’s comes two weeks after Slim Chickens closed in Helena.
For the workers impacted, Montana Works through the Department of Labor and Industry has resources that can help people file for unemployment and seek out a new job.
