Wyoming Says Goodbye to Hardee’s — Last Two Locations Shut Their Doors

The original story by DJ Nyke for KGAB AM 650.

If you’re mourning the loss of a late-night burger run or a reliable breakfast biscuit, you’re not alone. Wyoming has officially lost its last Hardee’s restaurants after the chain’s final two stores — in Buffalo and Gillette — closed permanently on Dec. 20, 2025.

It’s a sad little end to a slow fade. Casper lost both of its Hardee’s locations back in July 2023, when the company suddenly shuttered restaurants amid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy that year and closed 39 outlets. Over the past year, reports say about 77 Hardee’s locations shut for good across multiple states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina and, yes, Wyoming.

For a lot of folks, this feels like more than a menu change. Hardee’s drew a devoted crowd for its burgers (mushroom & Swiss enthusiasts, we see you), its chicken fingers and the breakfast menu that many fans swear was a cut above the usual fast-food morning fare. Prices were not bargain-basement — but for some, the tradeoff was worth it.

The physical remnants of the chain are disappearing too. One Casper Hardee’s on Wyoming Boulevard is now a Pluto’s Vape Shop, and the other location off 1st Street is up for sale. So if you want to track Hardee’s in Wyoming, you’ll have to rely on memories and maybe a few archived photos.

Why did it happen? The chain’s financial trouble has been brewing for some time, and the 2023 Chapter 11 filing and waves of closures made a comeback tough. Restaurant chains are ruthless about margins, rental costs, labor, and shifting customer tastes — and sadly, Hardee’s in Wyoming couldn’t clear those hurdles.

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you’re far from the only one. Whether it was a late drive-thru burger, a weekday breakfast, or that one special sandwich that hooked you for life, losing a chain statewide leaves a noticeable hole in the local fast-food landscape.

So here’s to the mushroom-and-Swiss converts, the breakfast biscuit loyalists, and the people who swore their fries were the best: Wyoming’s Hardee’s run is over, and the state’s fast-food map looks a little different now.