Continued from Part I…
In 1971, McDonald’s opened their first Australian restaurant at Yagoona in Sydney’s southwest. Hartee’s, as Sydney’s resident hamburger chain, returned fire by opening no less than four locations in 1972, eclipsing McDonald’s store count. Of those four, Liverpool, Canterbury, Manly Vale and Kogarah, only the Canterbury store still exists in any form:
The building still features the drive-thru lane and original roof, but apart from that nothing remains of Hartee’s. Seeing as McDonald’s didn’t open a drive-thru location until 1978, at Warrawong, this suggests that Hartee’s were Australian pioneers of the drive-thru service style. This domination of Sydney’s hamburger market continued into 1973, with locations opening at Moore Park Showground and Riverwood, while business was so good that the head office was moved from Earlwood to Mascot. By the end of 1973, Hartee’s sat comfortably at the top of Sydney’s fast food chain…
Past/Lives of the Near Future 
Have to chime in here, this is my local tool hire yard and (having remembered eating here as a very young child) I took great delight in looking for any sign of the internal fitout that would point to it’s original use. There are at the back of the workshop some of the original tiles from the 1970’s fit out – burnt orange too, a 1970’s classic.
The Manly Vale Hartees Building is Still There with no real changes except for a coat of paint.
Even the carpark seems to be in its original form.
There have been any businesses located there since Hartees went broke.
Most businesses failed but the current Gilmours shoe store located there seems to be successful.
It is on the Corner of Condamine St & Innes Rd
Can anyone remember the Hartees that was at Sans Souci in NSW. I remember going there as a child. Now it is a McDonalds. As I remember there was one at Sans Souci on Rocky Point Rd and then another one popped up at Kogarah across from the Tech.
I remember going to the Kogarah (we lived at Sylvania) store. OMG I loved their Steak Sandwich. Have never eaten anything like it since it closed and I have traveled the world including many many times to the home of fast food sandwiches (the USA).
Sadly it seems that the Canterbury Hartee’s will soon be no more. https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/property/292-296-canterbury-road-canterbury-nsw-2193-2013635953
I remember the Kogarah Hartees store well…. loved their flame grilled patties… meaty & thick and so tastey. I used to “Hurry in down to Hartees”.😀😀😀
Update on Kogarah.The Car park is now being developed. Looks like units. Brown paper bags at twenty paces.
I had my only childhood birthday party at Hartee’s Kogarah in August 1973, with four mates from school (I was turning 8), and M&D of course. The plan had been to go to McDonald’s at San Souci, which I think had recently opened, but they were having an instore appearance by Ronald McDonald that day, and I can still see the crowds of people spilling out of the carpark and across Rocky Point Road, blocking lanes of traffic. M&D pivoted, and turned the car back towards Kogarah. My impression was that the Hartee’s was tiny, even to our diminutive selves. I have photos taken inside, so that’s probably rare.
I’d cross Rocky Point Road to see those interiors