Carl's Jr and Hardee's - are they more or less separate these day?

[bcla]

I think we've talked about them before. I remember Hardee's from their NASCAR sponsorship but until they were purchased by CKE they probably had a different identity. As far as I could tell they adopted much of the same menu and the star logo.

However, I always thought they had this more or less combined ad campaign and similar menus. Just maybe last year they had this really odd series of commercials featuring the fictional founder ("Carl Hardee, Sr.") comes back to run the company run by his son. That was kind of bizarre. I remember the ads available on YouTube, but it's looks like they've been taken down. They were trying to explain that the son was the idiot who ordered provocative ads with women in bikinis that were only tangentially related to the food.

At least recently we've seen a far different ad campaign around here with the voice of Matthey McConaughey. I've read that his work is only for Carl's Jr and Hardees only combine a few ad campaigns. Now I've seen this one in my area, except the price finishes at $2.99 and not $2.49.

These ones are the same except right at the end:

 

[auntfrannie]

There aren't any Hardee's or Carl Jr's around here (near Pittsburgh) so I can't comment on their commercials. But in the interest of combining advertising dollars, maybe Lincoln should partner with Hardee's to show Matthey McConaughey going through a drive-thru in one of those bigass Lincolns!

 

[Southernmiss]

We only have Hardee's here. Haven't been to one in years.

There are cars in the parking lot for breakfast, but never after breakfast.

Not sure how they stay open.

 

[L&Lfan]

We have no Hardee’s here in south Jersey, but I loved them when I lived in South Carolina. I preferred them to all the other fast food burger joints. They also (this is 30 years ago) had a good roast beef sandwich, chili dog and fried (not baked) apple pie!

 

[Meriweather]

We really like Carl's
Don't know the comparisons on ads or food

 

[Kellykins1218]

I've only ever seen Hardee's. I have no clue what Carl's Jr is.

 

[Meriweather]

found this

They are hardly the same, tho sharing ownership, Hardees was acquired by CKE some years ago. They share few menu items, and don’t really overlap territories (maybe 1 or 2 states). Hardee’s has maintained some of its “southern heritage” in its menu, and Carl’s, its “western.”


Like any fast food chains, they both have their strong and weak points. Some of Hardee’s menu items are rather amusing. Where else can you go when you have a craving for fried bologna, a bacon/ham/sausage/egg/cheese biscuit, or drive thru biscuits and gravy? Yeah, I thought so.


They hardly belong on the same line in the bracket.

 

[kdonnel]

Some of Hardee’s menu items are rather amusing. Where else can you go when you have a craving for fried bologna, a bacon/ham/sausage/egg/cheese biscuit, or drive thru biscuits and gravy? Yeah, I thought so.

I remember as a teenager I almost got a job at Hardees as a cook. I had a choice of Long John Silvers or Hardees and choose Long John Silvers because the menu was so varied at Hardees it just seemed like the job would be harder.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Neither of them exist here. There was a Hardee’s in my hometown when I was a kid, maybe 40 years ago. It didn’t last long and was replaced by Roy Rogers, which we liked better.

 

[dotfurio]

We have Carls Jr, no Hardees. I don't like their food and only eat there for lunch a couple times a year when coworkers want to go.

 

[bcla]

There aren't any Hardee's or Carl Jr's around here (near Pittsburgh) so I can't comment on their commercials. But in the interest of combining advertising dollars, maybe Lincoln should partner with Hardee's to show Matthey McConaughey going through a drive-thru in one of those bigass Lincolns!

The ads are kind of odd like the Lincoln commercials. I can't find a YouTube version of it to direct link (I think they were pulled) but I still see this ad occasionally.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/w3O0/carls-jr-western-bacon-cheeseburger-pick-it-up

The ad copy is pretty basic. Just McConaughey singing.

Western Bacon Cheese....burger
Cheese, bacon, western, bacon
Cheese.....burger, I'm talking Carl's Junior
Pick it up
Western Bacon Cheese....burger
Carl's Junior
Pick it up
​

https://www.chron.com/entertainment...-McConaughey-is-now-the-voice-of-12625076.php
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dEHH/carls-jr-pastrami-thickburger-con-di-meat

https://www.adweek.com/brand-market...peal-and-go-straight-to-the-bacon-in-new-ads/
According to Jeff Jenkins, chief marketing officer at parent company CKE Restaurants, the new effort seeks to maintain the chain’s reputation as “a brand that’s impossible to ignore” by focusing on the food while aiming to establish a “crave culture.” He also plans to develop a more distinctive identity for Carl’s Jr.’s sister brand, Hardee’s.​

They have had a few ads mocking the "hot women" spots with a slightly chunky Australian comedian. I think her name is Celeste Barber.

 

[willowsnn3]

Only Hardee's here and not as many as there used to be. Most of the Hardee's in my area changed to Wendy's several years ago. Now none are convenient to me but I remember they had the best chicken biscuits ever & I stopped just about every morning on my way to work. Their 'thick burgers' are really good also. Cooked fresh to order the last few times I ate at one. Years ago they (Hardee's) did pretty good fried chicken meals & a great peach cobbler. My youngest daughter (now 40) worked at Hardee's her last year of high school & for a couple years after eventually becoming a manager til she started a family & wanted a less hectic work schedule.

 

[tvguy]

Looking at their online menus, most of the main items are the same. No Pork Chop Biscuits at Carls Jr, just Hardees. Green Burrito menu at Carl's Junior, Red Burrito at Hardees.
Sort of like Dreyers Ice Cream being sold as Eddys on the East coast.
And Best Foods mayo being sold as Heilmanns on the east. Until Unilever bought Best foods, the Heilmanns mayo used to say it was made by Best foods.

 

[sam_gordon]

Hardees was my first job... morning cook. Used to LOVE the cinnamon raisin biscuits. At the end of the shift, I'd usually take a dozen home (that were supposed to be trashed) and eat them for breakfast.

 

[DisneyHardin]

they had the best chicken biscuits ever & I stopped just about every morning on my way to work.

I was just getting ready to post the same thing. We still have a couple Hardees near us and the chicken biscuit is the best thing there

 

[L&Lfan]

I was raised on Hardee’s from 1972-1982. I don’t know what they’re like now but I assume they’ve changed. Everything else from my childhood, high school and college years has.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We’ve had a Hardee’s here at least 35 years - was a Burger Chef, previously.

 

[RangerPooh]

As a former west coaster I grew up eating at Carl's Jr, it was my fathers favorite. I could sure go for a Western Bacon Cheeseburger right now! Here in Tennessee we have a Hardees not too far away in Mississippi and it is NOT the same as Carl's. They might use the same logo but that's where the similarities end! We have eaten at Hardees in Michigan, Mississippi, and Virginia(?) and I refuse to eat there again. It was overpriced crap. You go in expecting the Carl's menu and are sorely disappointed. Carl's is far superior. We were back in Washington two summers ago and had Carl's on either the day of arrival or departure from Spokane and it was positively delightful.

 

[bcla]

As a former west coaster I grew up eating at Carl's Jr, it was my fathers favorite. I could sure go for a Western Bacon Cheeseburger right now! Here in Tennessee we have a Hardees not too far away in Mississippi and it is NOT the same as Carl's. They might use the same logo but that's where the similarities end! We have eaten at Hardees in Michigan, Mississippi, and Virginia(?) and I refuse to eat there again. It was overpriced crap. You go in expecting the Carl's menu and are sorely disappointed. Carl's is far superior. We were back in Washington two summers ago and had Carl's on either the day of arrival or departure from Spokane and it was positively delightful.

AFAIK - they've got the occasional combined marketing, such as some product spots. However, they clearly have gone a different route with the majority of their marketing.

https://www.nrn.com/marketing/carl-s-jr-breaks-hardee-s

I recall the reason why CKE bought out Hardee's was that it was a relatively cheap entry into the market compared to trying to build up a brand. Supposedly about $300 million to get access to about 3000 locations at the time. I believe they were struggling, which is why they were relatively cheap to buy. Apparently they tried co-branding in some test areas, but it didn't go so well.

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/cke-restaurants-parent-of-carl-s-jr-buying-hardee-s.html

I guess they're trying to emphasize the Southern comfort food aspect of Hardee's. I might have seen a Hardee's location before, but I've never been to one.

 

[North of Mouse]

We have lots of Hardees, never heard of Carl, Jr.