ABINGDON, Va. – Hardee's franchisee Restaurant Management Group (RMG) has recognized a Hardee's restaurant it operates in Abingdon as the restaurant with the highest sales percent increase in 2004 from among the company's 47 restaurants. The Hardee's is located at 602 Cummings St.

The winners were announced at an awards celebration last week. The Abingdon Hardee's restaurant had the highest sales increase of any Hardee's franchise owned by RMG. Second place went to its Hardee's in Waynesburg, Pa., and its restaurant in Greeneville, Tenn. came in third.

RMG is the fifth largest Hardee's franchisee in the United States . The company owns and operates Hardee's restaurants in and around the Tri-Cities region of Virginia and Tennessee as well as in West Virginia , Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Hardee's Food Systems, Inc. recently honored RMG with national franchise awards for Operations Excellence and Franchisee Sales in 2004 and the company has been recognized as Franchisee of the Year in the past. RMG is based in North Carolina