Hardee’s opens Tuesday

It may not be late spring 2018 like initially promised, but the long-awaited Hardee’s in Newton is finally opening its doors to the public early next week and offering plenty of perks to visitors during its first day of business.

Hardee’s franchisee Westar Foods, Inc. announced in a press release Thursday the fast food restaurant, located at 1205 W. 19th St. S. near Highway 14/US 6, will hold its grand opening Jan. 8.

The opening date was initially teased by City of Newton Development Specialist Craig Armstrong in mid-December. By then, construction crews were busy cutting the poured-and-dried concrete parking lot.

To celebrate its return to the community, Newton Hardee’s staff is offering “free biscuits for a year” to the first 25 dining room patrons to enter the fast food joint after opening at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday. At the same time, guests can also register to win season passes to the 2019 Iowa Speedway Series. An Iowa Speedway pace car will be on site for photo opportunities until the early afternoon, the release stated.

A ribbon cutting ceremony featuring the Newton Chamber of Commerce will also be held at 9:30 a.m. during the Hardee’s grand opening. Afterward, a check will be presented on behalf of Westar Foods to the local Salvation Army’s food pantry.

Frank Westermajer, president of Westar Foods, said the Hardee’s building is a new prototype designed specifically for the Newton site, making it unique among other franchise locations.

“It’s possibly the only one in existence within the Hardee’s Corporation,” Westermajer said. “It blends past core color elements with a sleek modern décor.”

When preparations for the Newton location began, Westermajer said the Iowa town “was not on the franchisee’s radar at first.” Westar Foods, he added, is currently concentrating on expanding its efforts in Nebraska.

“So when the City (of Newton) approached us to build at the site of an old gas station as part of revitalizing the area, it was hard to say no,” he said. “It’s a way for us to bring the positive image of Hardee’s back to the community.”

Initially, the old Juice and Junk gas station site proved to be a challenge for contractors, pushing back construction several months behind schedule. Westermajer told the Newton Daily News in August that crews were supposed to start in May, but soil issues delayed the construction of the fast food restaurant.

Hardee’s was to be built upon an area where there was once an underground fuel storage tank, but the groundwork was not compacted correctly. This proved difficult as the soil would not be able to properly support the foundation of the restaurant. Armstrong described it was a minor problem that ultimately compelled Westar Foods’ to revise its site plan.

“It wasn’t a major revision, but it does require a redraw of the site plan,” Armstrong said in August. “As soon as that’s received, it should be one-two-three, pull the trigger and be done.”

Which is what essentially happened. Still, the wait caused a fair bit of discussion from concerned citizens airing their grievances online. Armstrong interpreted their emotional responses as an overall positive sign, saying they were at the very least looking forward to the new development.

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