History

The BNE story began in Fayetteville, N.C. in 1962 when Carleton Noell and his two entrepreneurial nephews, Mayo and Nick Boddie, opened one of the first Hardee's restaurants. Fast-food was a relatively new concept back then, but BNE’s commitment to friendly service and great-tasting charbroiled burgers established it as one of the industry’s leaders.

Despite our rapid growth and expansion throughout the Carolinas, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia, BNE has maintained a close-knit family culture in which every individual is treated with mutual support and respect.

Today, BNE operates just under 350 Hardee's restaurants and is the chain's largest privately held franchisee. Business has also expanded to include BNE Land and Development, the company's commercial land ventures and resort property development; Rose Hill Conference Center, the Boddie family’s unique working farm and site for family and corporate events; and four additional restaurant concepts:  Texas Steakhouse & Saloon, Cafe Carolina and Bakery, Highway Diner and Moe's Southwest Grill.

Timeline:

  • 1962:   Mayo and Nick Boddie partner with their uncle Carleton Noell to open one of the first Hardee's restaurants
  • 1970:   45 open and operating Hardee's locations
  • 1977:   Biscuit Breakfast program, a Boddie-Noell original idea, revolutionizes the QSR industry
  • 1980:   155 open and operating Hardee's locations
  • 1985:   BNE's long history of diversification begins with the formation of BNE Land and Development
  • 1986:   Honeywell's Gold Nugget Award for energy conservation awarded to Boddie-Noell Enterprises
  • 1990:   330 open and operating Hardee's locations
  • 1994:   The company enters the casual dining market with a new concept, Texas Steakhouse & Saloon
  • 1996:   BNE Land & Development's Currituck Club named one of the Top Ten Golf Courses in America
  • 1999:   BNE introduces a 50s-style dining experience with Highway Diner
  • 2004:   Welcome to Moes! BNE opens its first franchise of the up-and-coming chain
  • 2005:   With an industry resurgence of bakery/deli concepts in full swing, Cafe Carolina and Bakery is a natural choice for the BNE portfolio
  • 2006:   32 open and operating Texas Steakhouse & Saloon Locations
  • 2007:   Purchase of 34 Hardee's in central and Eastern North Carolina from Hardee's Food Systems.
Boddie-Noell Brands