By the end of the summer, Hardee’s will be serving its homemade biscuits and signature Thickburgers in Plant City.
Construction has begun on the fast-food restaurant’s new location in the parking lot of the shopping plaza anchored by Southern Hospitality off James L. Redman Parkway. Franchise owner Emily Kemp said she hopes to have the restaurant open in early- to mid-August.
“We liked the community,” Kemp said. “We liked the demographics there. There’s a great group of businesses.”
Kemp and her husband, Jack, own 11 different Hardee’s restaurants in the Tampa Bay area. Both U.S. Army veterans, the Kemps moved from Boston to Tampa about a year ago to be closer to their businesses. They decided to expand east to Plant City for their latest expansion. It’s their first brand-new store.
Emily Kemp said James L. Redman Parkway seemed to be a good spot for Hardee’s demographic, with lots of residential and trucking traffic. She also knows Southern Hospitality is a destination store.
“People throughout Florida know about Southern Hospitality, so that was exciting for us,” she said.
The Kemps have been fans of Hardee’s for a long time.
“We love Hardee’s,” Emily Kemp said. “One reason why we bought the store is the food. I think the food is higher quality.”
And it’s not just the food the Kemps love.
“It’s friendly service with a smile,” Emily Kemp said.
To staff the store, the Kemps will be hiring locally and hope to tap into the community for other events in the future.
“We’re very, very excited about this,” Kemp said. “We think Plant City is a great community.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.