AUBURN, Ala. - Two longtime restaurants in Auburn, Alabama, closed within a day of each other at the start of November. The city's last Hardee's, at 800 Wire Road, shut down permanently on Monday, Nov. 2, and the Auburn Shrimp Basket, at 1651 S. College St., closed on Sunday, Nov. 1, according to WTVM. Auburn is in Lee County, which borders Russell County and the Phenix City area. The two closings affect people who live in the Chattahoochee Valley and visit Auburn.

The reports do not say whether any restaurants in Columbus or Phenix City are affected. The companies involved described their reasons differently, and only one of them gave a specific explanation. Here is what each report says, as of Sunday, Nov. 8.

Hardee's at 800 Wire Road

The restaurant at 800 Wire Road closed on Monday, Nov. 2, and a sign at the entrance thanked customers for years of support, WTVM reported. By Tuesday morning, the drive-thru menu boards had been stripped. The restaurant had been Auburn's only Hardee's since the downtown location closed in the 2000s, according to the report.

The franchise operator is Phase Three Brands. WTVM's article did not give a specific reason for this closing, and it linked the broader trend to economic pressure on fast-food chains, noting that franchisees have closed dozens of Hardee's locations nationwide over the past year. The report did not say how many Hardee's restaurants remain in total.

A notice posted at the site directs customers to two Hardee's restaurants in Opelika, which is the next city over. The notice also pointed to the chain's scratch-made biscuits, which local customers reportedly crave. The addresses listed are below.

Shrimp Basket at 1651 S. College St.

The Auburn Shrimp Basket closed on Sunday, Nov. 1, after serving the area for more than 13 years, WTVM reported. The restaurant was in the Tiger Crossing shopping center and was previously the site of a Hooters. It offered oysters, po-boys, gumbo and shrimp specials.

The parent company, Artistry Restaurants, acquired the Shrimp Basket brand in May 2020. Six locations closed in all, according to the report: Auburn, Bay Minette, Cullman, Gardendale and Tuscaloosa in Alabama, and Warrington in Pensacola, Florida. The company said it is refocusing resources on its coastal and beachside restaurants.

CEO Bryan Lockwood said, "our strength comes from our origins as a true coastal seafood restaurant," according to the report. Twelve Shrimp Basket restaurants remain open across south Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Artistry Restaurants is helping affected employees find transfer opportunities at other company locations.

The two closings at a glance

What it means for the Chattahoochee Valley

For Columbus and Phenix City residents who sometimes drive to Auburn, the closures remove two restaurants from the list of places to stop. Auburn sits roughly an hour by road from Columbus. The reports did not describe any effect on restaurants closer to the Georgia-Alabama line.

Restaurant closures of this kind are usually decided by the parent company or franchisee, not by the city. WTVM reported that the Auburn Shrimp Basket was one of six that closed as part of a shift toward the coast. The Hardee's report points customers to the two Opelika restaurants instead. Anyone with questions about either brand can contact the company directly.