Over the past few weeks, four local Hardee's bakers showcased their master-level skills as they beat out the competition in the semi-finals of the national Hardee's Biscuit Baker Competition.

Today, Hardee's announces the four finalists who will move on to compete in the national Biscuit Baker Competition on Thursday, September 19 in Franklin, TN, headquarters of CKE Restaurants, which is the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr. The four finalists will compete for a chance to win the title of 2024 Biscuit Baker Competition Champion and a $10,000 prize.

Representing their local franchisee but all embodying the brand's spirit of "Goodness in the Making," the following bakers will compete in the national competition.

1. Frank Martinez, representing Weaverville, NC and Mountain Star, LLC  
2. Jaycie Stambaugh, representing Spring Valley, PA and Restaurant Management Corporation
3. Michael Leezy, representing Hannibal, MO and Tristar Franchise Group
4. Heather Holthaus, representing Glen Burnie, MD and OTAC Franchise Group

"Biscuit bakers are a meaningful part of the communities where they work and the biscuits, that they rise at 4:00 a.m. to bake every morning, are how many people start their day," says Chris Bode, president of Hardee's. "The semi-finals of the national Biscuit Baker Competition demonstrate the expertise and knowledge of the biscuit bakers. They are evaluated and judged based on several criteria, including visual appearance, color, texture and taste of their biscuits. The four finalists should be extremely proud of their accomplishment and making it to the final round of competition."

The semi-finals were proceeded by a series of local and regional competitions. The final four bakers were selected based on their knowledge of procedures and their ability to prepare a batch of 52 biscuits in 15 minutes. The competition also serves as an annual recertification in Hardee's proprietary biscuit baking procedures.

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