It's being torn down to make way for a veteran's memorial and park. But the demolition will be the end one of the most visible reminders of the Hardee's legacy in Rocky Mount.

The restaurant was the first franchised Hardee's location, which opened May 5, 1961, and is referred to as store No. 1 by the company. The very first Hardee's ever was opened by founder Wilbur Hardee in Greenville in 1960.

But the ties between the burger giant and Rocky Mount remain strong, despite its parent company dealing the region a major economic blow when it moved its headquarters to St. Louis in 2001.

For Rocky Mount natives such as Jackie Lynch, it's a sad ending for a historic building. The restaurant was conspicuous for its lack of seating, said Lynch, who is now a Knightdale resident.

"I remember going there when I was a kid," she said. "Any time you were referring to anything, it was like a landmark -- 'It's near the Hardee's where you can't sit down.' ... I thought maybe they'd keep it as a memorial. I didn't think they'd ever tear it down."

A museum or other memorial was considered, said Rocky Mount city manager Steve Raper, but the building's condition is too poor. It has been vacant for more than a decade and has fallen into disrepair.

"It made no sense economically," he said. "I wish it was in decent condition where we had some other options, but it has to be razed."

The new plan for the site calls for a memorial and a park, which will be named Jack Laughery Park, after the former Hardee's chairman who was a military veteran and died last year.

Once the building is torn down, the city would like to start construction by the summer, Raper said. A dedication is planned for Nov. 11, Veteran's Day.

"It's been bittersweet," said Skip Carney, of Rocky Mount public relations firm Carney & Co. "It's a little piece of history we're going to lose, but on the other hand, it's progress."

The price tag for the new park and memorial is about $400,000, Raper said. More than half of the money will be raised by Mayo Boddie, chairman of Boddie-Noell Enterprises, which is still based in Rocky Mount and operates 308 Hardee's restaurants in Virginia, Kentucky and the Carolinas. Boddie-Noell was the third Hardee's franchisee in the country.

"Jack Laughery was a friend of mine," Mayo Boddie said. "Probably the best friend I've ever had. When he passed away I decided I wanted to get a memorial started."

Boddie said he doesn't anticipate problems raising the funds for the memorial and park. Boddie-Noell and Hardee's corporate parent will make contributions, he said.

"Jack had a lot of friends out there all over the world," he said. "We're going to do it anyway. We'll make it happen."

The demolition of the Hardee's is sad for Boddie, who once stood outside that store and decided that he himself would become a Hardee's franchisee. But he said he believes the memorial is the best use of the site.

"Just an old rundown building sitting there doesn't do anything for anybody," he said. "That's just business. You can't live on being sentimental about something."