CKE appoints IHOP alum as Hardee’s president
Alisa Gmelich appointed as Hardee's president with 30 years of experience
· Restaurant Dive· October 8, 2026
Company
Superior Star
Superior Star is a company in Burnaze's franchise knowledge graph, mentioned since 2026. 11 stories link here, each summarized from the original publisher. Filed under Restaurants / Burger.
Bankruptcy claims loom over QSR brands
Superior Star and Sailormen filings underscore the financial volatility facing large-scale franchisees dealing with undisclosed liabilities and high maintenance costs.
· QSR Web· July 29, 2026
Hardee’s franchisee says taxes, old stores, food costs led to bankruptcy
Hardee’s franchisee Superior Star files for bankruptcy due to $13 million acquisition costs
· Restaurant Dive· July 17, 2026
The number of franchisee bankruptcies has soared this year
At least 10 multi-unit restaurant franchisees have filed for bankruptcy this year.
· Restaurant Business· July 16, 2026
A Hardee's franchisee says it was sold a bill of goods, leading to its bankruptcy
Superior Star acquired a group of about 93 Hardee’s restaurants in 2023 for $15 million and spent another $4 million to improve operations.
· Restaurant Business· July 15, 2026
Wingstop Named Fastest-Growing U.S. Restaurant Brand
Jersey Mike’s Confirms IPO Plans While Franchises Expand Use of Artificial Intelligence Wingstop’s addition of 382 locations in 2025 made it the fastest-growing U.S. restaurant bra
· Franchise Wire· July 14, 2026
59-Unit Hardee’s Franchisee Declares Bankruptcy
Superior Star, which operates 59 Hardee’s restaurants across 10 states, filed for Chapter 11 protection on July 9 in the U.S.
· QSR Magazine· July 14, 2026
⛫ How to Roll Up Franchises
The Franchise Roll-Up Framework For whatever reason, lately I’ve been getting more outreach from searchers looking to get into franchise ownership and execute a roll-up. Perhaps it’s past podcasts I’ve…
· Empires Weekly· July 13, 2026
It's tough being a restaurant franchisee right now
Restaurant franchisees are facing challenges, with some filing for bankruptcy
· Restaurant Business· July 13, 2026
60-store Hardee’s operator files for bankruptcy
Hardee’s has seen several major franchisee bankruptcies in recent years, with Summit Restaurant’s 2023 filing resulting in dozens of closures, and ARC Burger closing 77 stores last year in advance of its April Chapter 7 filing.
· Restaurant Dive· July 10, 2026
Another big Hardee’s franchisee declares bankruptcy
- Finance - Franchising - Quick Service - News Another big Hardee’s franchisee declares bankruptcy Superior Star, which bought 93 struggling Midwestern locations of the fast-food c
· Nation's Restaurant News· July 10, 2026