ARC Burger LLC, the Hardee’s franchise operator frequently described in prior reporting as tied to High Bluff Capital Partners, drew national attention over missed franchise payments, a termination of franchise agreements, and the shutdown of dozens of restaurants, has filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in federal bankruptcy court in Georgia, according to reporting by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and follow-on trade coverage.
What Was Filed—and Where
- Debtor: ARC Burger LLC (identified in court tracking services and news reports as tied to the Hardee’s franchise dispute).
- Chapter: Chapter 7 (liquidation of the debtor’s estate by a trustee, rather than a Chapter 11 reorganization).
- Filing date / venue: Petition filed April 20, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, with the debtor listed as Marietta, Georgia in syndicated summaries that cite the Chronicle.
- Case number (as reported): 26-55202 (verify on the court docket or PACER before citing in legal filings).
Reported Liabilities and Key Creditors
News outlets citing the Atlanta Business Chronicle summarized the petition as listing more than $29 million in debt, alongside specific unsecured-style obligations such as roughly $403,569 owed to the Georgia Department of Revenue (taxes) and on the order of $19,000 in unpaid wages to employees. Exact schedules can differ by line item; the public docket is the authoritative source for creditors and amounts.
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Find Hospitality Roles →How This Connects to the 2025 Hardee’s vs. ARC Burger Fight
The bankruptcy filing lands after a bruising operational and legal sequence that was already public in late 2025:
- Franchisor litigation: Hardee’s (CKE-affiliated entities) sued over alleged defaults, with reporting describing claims tied to royalties, advertising fund contributions, technology and training fees, rent, and taxes, among other contract obligations.
- Scale: Court filings summarized in general-audience reporting described ARC Burger as tied to on the order of 77 Hardee’s locations across multiple states, followed by widespread closures as the dispute escalated.
- Consumer impact in Georgia: Local and national reporting highlighted Georgia as one of the states with a large footprint of affected restaurants—part of why the Atlanta Business Chronicle story matters for regional readers.
Separately, trade press has noted Hardee’s working to reopen select locations under different ownership structures after the ARC-related shutdowns—an ongoing operational story distinct from the liquidation case itself.
What Chapter 7 Usually Means for a Franchisee
In broad terms, Chapter 7 shifts the debtor toward asset liquidation and distribution to creditors under court supervision, and it typically triggers an automatic stay that pauses many collection actions while the case is administered. Franchise defaults, guaranties, and related-party claims can still be heavily litigated depending on facts and pleadings—this article is not legal advice.
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