Hardee’s in Newton nearing completion

If the amount of citizen feedback about the development of Hardee’s in Newton has told Craig Armstrong anything, it’s that there is a huge demand for the fast food joint’s signature Thickburgers and freshly-baked biscuits.

After a false start in late spring, many residents began to ask question whether the business was even going to fill the vacant lot near the West 19th Street South and Highway 14/US-6 intersection, the City of Newton development specialist said construction of the Newton-based Hardee’s was finally underway in late summer.

Currently, the silver-and-red fast food restaurant is coming along quickly, a stark contrast to the large marketing image stating “coming late spring 2018” on the property, which has since begun to tatter and deteriorate. As of Monday afternoon, construction crews were busy cutting the recently poured-and-dried concrete parking lot.

From what Armstrong has been told by franchisee representatives at Westar Foods, Inc., the Newton Hardee’s is expected to open for business Jan. 8, although he said inclement weather could prohibit progress. Nevertheless, this would mark the fast food restaurant’s return to Newton, which Armstrong said had originally been set up in Newton many years ago.

“I think a lot of folks are really hoping to be able to have Hardee’s back into the market,” he said. “…They’ve got a definite market niche that I know a lot of people are looking forward to.”

Addressing the public’s grievances about the long wait — construction was at least three months behind schedule — Armstrong added the emotional response told him, at the very least, people were looking to the new development near a highly traveled side of town just off Interstate 80.

"I don't think it was more people didn't think it was going to happen, it was just when was this going to happen," Armstrong said. "If I wasn't plugged into the day-to-day activity and (did not) know what was going on, I would have been frustrated myself."

Frank Westermajer, president of Westar Foods, Inc., told the Newton Daily News in August construction of the local Hardee’s was supposed to have taken place in May and be open close to three months later. Issues out of the control of the city and Westar Foods, Inc. impeded the first few stages of development.

The delays, Armstrong confirmed, were mainly because of two factors: the composition of the soil on the construction site was not compacted correctly by the previous landowner and the schedules of co-oping contracting crews conflicted with the construction site in Newton.

The site of the new Hardee’s was also home to the former Juice and Junk gas station, which had tanks buried beneath the property. Once the tanks were removed, it was discovered the dirt was not compacted correctly and would not have the necessary stability to support the foundation work of Hardee’s.

“They had to do some recalculations and figure out how to overcome it — basically bridge that problem,” Armstrong said. “Which they did and everything went fine. It did put them back on their site plan process a little bit …They overcame it.”

A representative from Westar Foods, Inc. was not available for comment before presstime Tuesday.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com