D'Lites
Gone. D'Lites filed for Chapter 11 on August 7, 1986, and most remaining company stores went to Hardee's in 1987. Many summaries date the chain to 1978, but reporting from 1984 and 1986 puts the first restaurant in 1981.
Last verified Nov 8, 2026
A fast-food chain where the whole menu was on a diet: lean-beef burgers, high-fiber buns and low-calorie cheese. It grew from one Atlanta restaurant in 1981 to about 100 in 19 states, then ran out of appetite.
📅 Timeline
- 1981Founder Doug Sheley opened the first D'Lites in Atlanta in December.
- 1985The chain had grown to about 100 restaurants in 19 states.
- 1986Sheley left in February; the company filed for Chapter 11 on August 7 after losing $18.7 million in the fiscal year.
- 1987Most remaining company-owned stores were sold to Hardee's and converted.
❓ People also ask
What was D'Lites?
A reduced-calorie fast-food chain based in Georgia, serving lean burgers on high-fiber buns with low-calorie cheese, salads and baked potatoes.
Why did D'Lites fail?
It expanded too fast: TIME reported a $18.7 million loss in fiscal 1986 and investors blaming new stores in neighborhoods that didn't want diet burgers. Bigger chains were also adding salads and lighter items of their own.
When did D'Lites go out of business?
It filed for bankruptcy on August 7, 1986, and most of its stores became Hardee's in 1987.
🧾 Sources
- TIME, Franchising: A Last Meal for D'Lites? (1986)
- UPI, Business Briefs (1984)
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Ga. (via Leagle), In re D'Lites of America, Inc., 66 B.R. 558 (1986)