Me visiting a friend in South Carolina, "What the heck is Hardee's, and why did they steal Carl's Jr's star?" My friend, "What's a Carl's Jr?" We both stare at each other, utterly confused.
Hardee's started in North Carolina in the 60s as an independent business until Carl's Jr. bought them out probably the early 2000s, & I have never heard of Carls Jr. until I started seeing the commercials. ☺
My mom once drove us to Florida to see a cousin and we ended up finding a Hardee’s after almost a full day of driving. Let’s just say I was extremely suprised about it.
Which is exactly why we don’t accept Carl’s Jr. over here on the East Coast. It’s just weird. Side note: you West Coasters have been trying to force Jack in the Box on us but nearly every single one has gone out of business over here. It’s just weird, you guys can have it back.
@@OGPatriot03 Key word was "WERE" before Carl's Jr. took over they were same size as McDonalds and crispy every time with little waves in them not full crinkles.
Carls Jr doesn't offer the mushroom Swiss burger like Hardee's, and Hardee's is obviously missing the delicious western bacon cheeseburger that Carl's has. I spent 10 years in Virginia craving a double western cheeseburger...but the mushroom Swiss was pretty good. 1st thing I ate when I crossed back into California was a Carl's Jr double wbc. Worth the wait. Soooo good. Now I miss the mushroom swiss...
I'm a trucker, and both are fairly common in truck stops in their corresponding areas. The menus are very similar for the most part, except for breakfast. Hardee's has a bunch of biscuits and one burrito, while Carl's has a few biscuits, several burritos, and The Breakfast Burger. I have also noticed that when it comes to the burgers formerly known as The Six Dollar Burger (before the price on some exceeded $6) and now called The Angus Burger, the meat patties taste a little different. I believe thy use different seasoning blends.
I'm from California but was stationed in Virginia when they began rebranding Hardee's to the Carl's Jr. look, but it still took a bit for them to change and not everything did due to regional preferences. I was laughing though at what at the time was being called the "New Famous Star Burger", a brand name that pre-dates Hardee's entirely, lol.
Oh, that's already been done...in a video game. Look at any of the last three Ghost developed Need For Speed titles, and you'll find a restaurant called Star Awesome Burgers, which is based on Carl's Jr./Hardees that uses the star for both the logo and name.
I think this is somewhat of a stereotype. I would prefer to see some empirical data. It's not like you can't get a salad down South. In fact, they are pretty popular everywhere.
I'm an underweight vegan who resides in TN. Unfortunately I don't do anything to remove that stereotype, in fact I share similar sentiments towards my peers. I mean don't get me wrong, I love America, but Americans? Yeah, I can understand the global hatred, or at least the disdain, that my peers and I receive. After moving here from Chicago, the underlying cultural racism is shocking, to say the least. For what is supposed to be "the Bible Belt", the lack of brotherly love, you know, unity among humans, is tangible. These Christians can have a million dollar home with 3 cars, donate 10% of their income to the crooked pastor, and still let families in their city go hungry? Additionally spending hundreds, if not thousands, on fences and home security systems rather than just, oh I don't know, not flaunting their wealth and rather investing in their community. I know it sounds like I'm a hypocrite, judging my fellow countrymen and what not, however I don't willingly identify as a human, therefore being an American is merely a technicality to me. A product of semantics, because I can not deny my current existence as a human. A tragic circumstance, to be sure. Furthermore, there is nothing inherently healthy about a salad. I don't eat fast food, but from what I understand, salads have come to be regarded as a carrier for dressings and deceased animal flesh. I can make a salad which will likely be unpalatable to many. I also eat for sustinence, decadent indulgence isn't my goal. Honestly, consumption and digestion is primitive, and I'm embarrassed to have to partake. Anyways if anyone read this far, I'm truly sorry you wasted your time having to comprehend the tangential tamblings of a malnourished madman. Good day, friends
I used to live in Arizona and now live in Georgia, and I've been to both iterations of this restaurant. There are a few other minor menu differences that I've noticed between the two brands. The Carl's Jr. restaurants had chili cheese fries (which I haven't seen at Hardee's) and had some additional specialty burgers that included things like guacamole (which I haven't seen at the Hardee's locations). Again, these both feel like regional differences, as guacamole and chili are definitely popular items in the west/southwest.
@R L common sense? The merger happened in 1997, world knowledge to me at that time consisted of Resident Evil item management and youth league sports. Even today, unless you have taken the aforementioned Fast Food Franchise History class, what *common* sense would lead to the conclusion presented in the video?
*We're very lucky that we still have a Burger-Chef in my town, well sort of. When the Burger Chef company folded 35+yrs ago, the manager at our location bought the building for pennies on the Dollar. He has maintained a close relationship with the suppliers for Burger Chef, changed the name and virtually kept everything the same. Even the pickle slices are still the "Pocahontas" brand. The Salad Bar is still there but is now a YUGE cold condiments bar. Their Shoe String Fries are better than any burger chain out there. The melted cheese on their Double & Triple Cheeseburgers and their Sliced Ribeye Steak sandwich, makes my mouth water just thinkin' about 'em. xD* *So if ya wanna taste of what REAL Burgers tasted like back in 60's-70's and are near Reidsville, NC, stop by "Pete's Burgers & More" and bring someone with ya, so you'll have someone to Slap!! xD* *(I am not affiliated with Pete's Burgers & More, but my Belly is.)*
I was born and raised in CA and only knew of Carl’s Jr. I have recently moved to Iowa and Hardee’s is the same thing. Same food, same charbroiled burgers. It’s wonderful
i remember being about 9 and wondering why Hardee's changed their simple, but good looking enough logo to this quasi-retro looking star logo. now i know, two decades later
I remember back in the day that Hardee's was trying to Rebrand itself. I remember seeing ads for sourdough Frisco burger, then I saw them advertising roast beef sandwiches, then they went to Fried Chicken. Hardee's was having an identity crisis when I was growing up
In my town, they have one with a double sided sign that says "Carl's Jr" on the front and "Hardee's" on the back. Pretty sure it maintains more Carl's Jr qualities, though.
Have always wondered about Hardees/Carls Jrs. Thanks for the video clearing it up. Used to go to Hardees a lot when they had the $6 burger for $3. Early 2000's I think.
When I was in College in Indiana in the early 80s, I knew, and loved going to Hardee's. Fastforward to the early 90s. I returned to the U.S. for Grad School, this time in Arizona. Imagine my surprise upon seeing a Carl's Jr. Looking just like Hardee's, but with a different name, so I did my research and found out that they were the same Company. Actually educated my friends in Arizona about Hardee's. It was good to finally get the history. Still love and miss both, even though I've been back home in Trinidad since 1994!
When I moved to CA after graduating from college in the mid-1970's, I had my first experience with Carl's Jr. & fell in love. Love the char-broiled hamburgers, etc. even though it was more experience than other fast food places. The one thing I remember & miss is their old fries. They were mashed potatoes formed into french fry shape & then deep fried. No one has done anything like them since Carl's got rid of them but they were my favorite french fries!!
Honestly they could have used Green burrito. Aquire that company, spread that to hardees and carls Jr and then they would be tying the two together more than creating a completely separate chain name
There is a similar branding thing between Burger King in the US and Hungry Jacks in Australia, but completely different reasons. It is a really good story
dangerouslytalented, we're talking different owners there, since it was a franchisee issue. This is what ultimately became the same owner in the same country, even in the same state in a couple of them. Both interesting, but the basis is quite different.
syxepop in Melbourne, when Burger King tried to muscle in, we had two identical restaurants next door to each other, identical branding, except one was Burger King and the other was hungry jacks
Always curious why is it Hungry Jacks all over Australia except the airport's restaurants are called Burger King. I susect it has something to do with trademark that does not apply in the airport area.
dangerouslytalented, but it wasn't an issue of one entrepreneur buying another. Hungry Jack happened to be a Pillsbury (who owned BK at that moment) brand that was given to the former franchisee. So it became a franchisor / franchisee issue. Today BK is owned by an investment group lead by Brazil's richest man.
My grandpa is from Tennessee, and he calls Carl's Hardee's, I asked him why he called it Hardee's, and he said they were the same thing, just called different where he is from.
@@OGPatriot03 Nor the fries and the menus are different. I grew up in a Carl's area and have lived in a Hardee's area and after trying Hardees twice, never again.
Definitely remember Hardee's before 1997. They were kind of homey feeling-- fireplaces, decorative lighting, ceiling fans, big booths, some had a private dining room. Frisco burger was my personal favorite. Around here, when they got bought out, all of their locations were converted to something called CharCee's (may have been Char-Cee's) which I assume was the franchise owner trying to be successful on his/her own. They didnt last long and closed. Some of their locations became McDonalds, others became Popeye's Chicken. None are still Hardees.
My dad used to say that you can tell you're in the south based off the number of Hardee's, never relised they are an east coast thing, and not a southern one.
I'm thinking Carl Hardee jr. might sound a bit more dignified, and it keeps the best perspective of both. BTW, I mean this at a corporate level. Something like Carl Hardee Jr., LLC or similar. The store branding is a trick that is nearly impossible to pull off without a blockbuster budget, and even then, it would be tough. The national advertising has been combined significantly for well over a decade. I figure the reluctance is down to strong regional recognition and loyalty. Totally new signs and in-store marketing would be required very quickly as well. The cups and other mass branding supplies could easily be redesigned to include both brands though. I'm not sure why they didn't go with Green Burrito with Hardee's, but that particular lack of integration branding is a reasonably clear indication the brands aren't likely to fully merge any time soon. I don't know about Hardee's/Red Burrito, but Green Burrito is not available at every Carl's Jr. location, including brand new locations.
I’ve never had Hardee’s or Carl’s jr, but I can just vividly remember waking up on very late nights while my parents were driving around, and seeing that little star with a face. I should probably try it for once
@Almxnd _milkshxke OK sorry, I was just teasing. I actually live there and I was feeling bored so I asked it. I know dubai is not a country, I just implied that to make it look like I don't live here. Yup, cost is very high, but in places like Karama, its not that costly. Sorry for possibly tricking and deceiving you :(
From my experience with both versions, Carl's Jr tends to feature western style burgers more frequently, while Hardee's has more BBQ inspired items frequently. The deciding factor for me is the fact that Hardee's features the mushroom swiss burger and Frisco burger on their normal menu, while Carl's Jr does not have these burgers. These two burgers have always been my favorite since I was a kid, so Hardee's wins it for me.
Princess SparklySequins not really. They’re keeping the two names because it’s their brand identity. You can change all the Hardee’s on the east into Carl’s Jr.‘s and nobody will be familiar with it and vice versa
I'm from Kansas, and here its Hardee's, while one state over in Colorado its Carl's Jr. I think the midwest would be the best place to try to reform the brand into one name (Wyoming and Oklahoma are good examples) because I feel like most of us aren't as loyal to either brand, and also already know about the name thing.
I believe they have? I live in OK and I could have sworn we had a Hardee’s nearby that’s sign got changed to Carl’s Jr. I’m familiar with both and have gotten food from both (don’t really care for either), but Carl’s is more normal to me.
There is like 1 Carl's Jr. I know of in Texas, its in a town called Van attached to a Love's Travel Shop. I absolutely love Carls Jr and make it a point to stop and get the double western combo with seasoned fries everytime i pass through. God i really do love that place.
I grew up near 2 Hardees. They both eventually closed by the early 2000s. I simply thought they went out of business altogether until I started seeing them while traveling for work. Then I came across a Carl's Jr. and was confused, because they looked exactly like Hardees. I went inside and the menu was nearly identical as well. My curiosity led me to a conversation with the manager who basically just said, "Yea, Carl's Jr. bought Hardee's but didn't want to change the name." And for those of you who have been around a little while, Hardee's boosted their sales in a major way back around 1990 when they started the "2 burgers, 2 fries, 2 bucks" deal. Thank god that isn't still around because I'd be 400lbs!
ForWhomTheGameTolls I have SUCH fond memories of that deal! I remember my aunt treating her son, me and my brother to Hardee's after little league games. Lol she always joked how we were the cheapest dates in town. Wow, who would think there was a time when fast food was a treat...
I thought the same thing about waffle house, a store near me closed down and considering everyone in the south talks mad shit about it I thought they just went out of business until i found out otherwise.
I grew up in Georgia in the 60's; my recollection of Hardee's was walking to the restaurant with my babysitter and getting a hamburger. But what was most memorable was getting a balloon of the rotund Hardee's character where flat cardboard feet were attached to the knot of the balloon so it could stand. I think Hardee's may have been the only burger joint in our little town. Now I have lived in Los Angeles for the past 24 years and have patronized Carl's Jr. since. The biscuits don't taste the same. Edited for an additional comment: I think it was a great marketing strategy for Carl's Jr. to keep the Hardee's name in the East/Southeast to avoid losing a huge fan base.
I remember Hardee's before the acquisition. As you mentioned in the video, the guys that owned them didn't know what to do with the brand. While the restaurants weren't particularly dirty, they felt very outdated and in big need of renovation. As for the food, they were probably most known for their chicken pre-acquisition... and no, I'm not talking chicken sandwiches or chicken tenders, but rather straight up KFC-style legs, breasts and thighs. I guess it's pretty hard to screw that up, which is why it was their big seller - everything else they had just felt like mediocre imitations of other food chains. Their menus were huge and bloated with a little bit of everything on it, none of it particularly good. I remember a lot of people I knew hated the acquisition because they were used to the bloated menu, but I was excited. Instead of 50 burgers, none of them worth a crap, we get a half dozen burgers that you literally cannot find at any other fast food restaurant? It was like the place actually had a purpose. Ya know, outside of their breakfast. Pre- and Post-Acquisition, Hardee's was and is always packed during breakfast hours. I rarely was up in time for breakfast, but the old Hardee's I grew up around used to be 24/7, and they'd start serving breakfast at 3 AM, so I'd usually pick up a chicken biscuit and some hashbrowns before hitting the sack. Good times.
The best burger to come out of Old Hardee’s was the Frisco. I was only 15 when they merged, and the local Hardee’s had been closed for a few years, so my memory is hazy on the exact taste and style. But even with Carl’s Thickburgers, the signature flavour of the sourdough, mayo, tomato, bacon, and swiss, lives on. Related: after the Frisco burger became a hit, Hardee’s ran with it, first making a Frisco breakfast sandwich, then a New York sandwich... I feel like there was more, but my memory’s only so good at stuff from 22-25 years ago! Edit: I looked up some old commercials. The Frisco Club! Haven’t thought about that one for probably 20+ years. Damn th-cam.com/video/GKDlMRl9N8g/w-d-xo.html
Yea That is what I remember the bucket of chicken was the and the sides were the only they I liked form Hardees maybe their sausage biscuits but everything else was mediocre and most Hardees where I live in SC are very slow and dirty
Hardcore Report I was about to say the same thing. I liked their fried chicken. I wish they still had it. Hardees underwent huge changes in what I would say was the early 2000's to become what they are today.
I grew up in the gulf south. Hardee’s was fairly common and had reputation for serving the best fast food breakfast. They still have that reputation though it may not be accurate anymore. In the early to mid ‘90’s circa ‘93 until Carl’s Jr squired it Hardee’s began serving fried chicken as well as burgers. As I recall the fried chicken was pretty good I liked it as much as Popeyes, Church’s or KFC. It was real crispy. After the acquisition in ‘97 Hardee’s dropped the chicken and began to focus on premium quality burgers, something that wasn’t really there before when the mainly focused on a breakfast business. Good info in this video thanks.
Big Lew BBQ I grew up in three different states as a kid. When I was a teenager in Virginia there were Hardee's all over and then I moved to Missouri in my senior year of high school and I worked at a Hardee's. Hardee's had the burgers and fries like Burger King and Mcdonalds but they also had a great breakfast menu. But oddly enough they also had roast beef sandwiches like Arby's and chicken like KFC. Both of which I don't think they have anymore although I haven't been to one in years as I live in South Florida and Hardee's only comes down in Florida as far as Orlando. I use to love working there until I quit and went to Mcdonalds for a little more money, lol. I started working for Hardee's right after the rebrand in like 98 and I remember the store had just gotten a remodel with the new Star logo, etc. I think Hardee's has stayed out of the South Florida area due to a ton of competition and large Spanish population which would think it represents a cowboy or country brand? I can just imagine them trying to say Hardee's or Carl's Jr, lol. South Florida is also the birthplace of Miami Subs (rebranded Miami Grill) and Burger King so add in Wendys, Taco Bell, Arby's, Sub Way and the Numero Uno McDonald's and you have yourself a hell of a cage match! Lol!
Big Lew BBQ can you describe a burger for me? Like bite wise? I dont know what to expect from a hardees even though I've lived out east for over a year now
Caleb Sherman I have Checker's in my area but the only thing is good it's the fries. Funny enough I never been there I see commercials of Hardee's but there's no Hardee's in my area within 50 miles.
Godless Toyota you must be unfamiliar with their burgers. Go get a big Buford and let me know what you think! Or the chicken bites box is great for your money if you're in college kid like me
Mr. Goat I'm familiar with them the Big Bluford is not so good in my opinion but I think it's because of the idiot that made it. But the chicken bites and fries are OK but I think it's down to the cook. But my opinion on the fries are really good much better than McDonald's and Burger King.
@@hungryjack8032 Bro I can't believe you just say that, what if a blind person reads your comment? Smh people these days don't have any common sense... 😒
As someone who moved from the east coast to the west coast you left off one violently important menu item difference that causes us southerners to despise Carl's Jr. The Hardee's Cinnamon Raisin Biscuit. You don't have them on the west coast and it's an epic tragedy.
Crown Rights Media Hardee's does not have the Western Bacon Cheeseburger of Carl's either. Carl's has waffle shaped 'criss cut' fries, while Hardee's has seasoned curly fries. Hardee's has crinkle cut regular fries, while Carl's has shoestring like regular fries. Actually, other than generic categories, their two menus are nothing alike... Even the meat tastes different.
Crown Rights Media how do you miss wawa? And Rita’s water ice? And bojangles? And turkey hill? And being able to call a hoagie a hoagie with out people giving you weird looks? The only thing you gained from moving to the west is in and out burger but that one positive cancels out because they took away your “assault style weapons”
they're not even the same anymore. Around the time of the menu shift they changed from being these freshly made, gooey Homestyle bakery biscuits to a pre-made texture. Even looking at them in the box, they're perfectly identical... *_every single one_* with a very machined appearance. The Taste is evident, especially when they advertise freshly made biscuits, so much I don't think it applies to the cinnamon raisin. Bojangles was the same way the first one that opened up in my area had the *_amazing_* biscuits my grandparents remembered and their sweet potato pies were deep fried and sugar coated now they're baked and plain but that's probably a health shift more than a budget thing.
Fun fact: There used to be a Carl's Jr. Jr. at the corner of Sunset and Highland in Los Angeles. It was named that because you couldn't go inside. It was just a window where you ordered and some tables outside where you could sit. It closed a few years ago though. Now it's a Chick-Fil-A (with the same "order at the window and sit outside" configuration).
I’ve always wondered why it was “Carl’s Jr” and not “Carl Jr’s”, but never wondered enough to actually look up the reason. Thank you for answering that for me!
Growing up with Hardee's, the practically sold everything. Roast beef sandwiches, fried chicken, burgers, etc. They even had hand dipped ice cream.Today's Hardee's just isn't what it was, not because of nostalgia, but simply from the menu.
Oh boy... Hardee's to me is a big trip back to the 1980s. Strangely, what I miss most are their hotdogs and the condiment dispensers/pumps they had on the sidelines from where you ordered. I would take my tray and stack it with paper cups full of delicious horseradish sauce.
Yes, I really miss the Hardeee's I grew up with. I remember their Roast Beef Sandwiches and Fresh Fried Chicken. They had the best Bacon Cheeseburgers. They still have Hot Dogs and Hot Ham and Cheese sandwiches. And their breakfast biscuits are still legit.
My local Hardee's died not long after they started using and heavily promoting Angus beef. The prices went up as did wait times, unless you were in the drive through. I remember going there on my lunch one day and seeing about 7 or 8 orders go through while I was waiting for my Frisco burger. When it stopped being 'fast food' people stopped going. Only know of one still around here.
I've been around Hardee's in Iowa all my life. Never been to a Carl's Jr. One thing I was curious about and struggled to find when looking previously at the Carl's Jr. website, do they have the Roast Beef, Big Roast Beef, Monster Roast Beef Sandwiches that Hardee's has. Its always been a favorite of mine, especially as I don't live close to Arby's.
I remember seeing my first time seeing Carl Jr. I was like WTF is this booth leg Hardee's. Im from NC we got these everywhere i can assure the both of them are pretty much the same.
i grew up in NC, second job was a hardee's in garner (i fried chicken, remember when hardee's sold fried chicken?) but i spent summers traveling and knew carl jr. well. the moment i saw the star on hardees, my only question became "who bought who?"
yup, garner senior high, class of 95' i worked at hardee's on Hwy 50 at timber crossings from 93 to 97. the hardees where i live now has hot dogs but no fried chicken, but they LOOK like carl jr.s
Path Evermore this is interesting. I know at least two locations in durham has fried chicken. I must admit i haven't to hardee in a couple years. This company business model may be more specialized than I thought.
So there's a slightly similar story in St. Louis regarding Panera. In St. Louis, Panera is called St. Louis Bread Co. The original St. Louis Bread Co. stores were bought by Au Bon Pain, which turned the company into a national chain and rebranded it as "Panera," but kept the St. Louis Bread Co. name in the St. Louis region. When I first moved to St. Louis about ten years ago, having spent the previous five years in Chicago, I was shocked to see that some company called St. Louis Bread Co. had stolen Panera's logo, menu items, and even utensils!
Yep. It was, is and always will be “bread co.” to people from STL. I had the same kind of reaction when I found out there was a parent company called Panera. Haha!
Another restaurant with 2 names is Panera or St.Louis Bread Company which was its original name before it was acquired and expanded outside of St.Louis and remains St.Louis bread company in St.Louis
and another thing!!! red cars have the best gas mileage of every single pickup that has ever driven across the bridge to Hawaii.... (just as irrelevant as your comment. thanks for playing)
Here’s a fun one, I’ve been to both, as I currently live in the east side of the USA, naturally, I’ve visited Hardee’s occasionally, but I went to Carl’s Jr back when I lived in Mexico nearly 9 years ago and they still feel the same.
They are not the only company to do this. On the East Coast people buy "Hellman's" mayonnaise, while on the West Coast they buy "Best Foods" mayonnaise. Good Humor is one of many brands around the world used by Unilever for its ice cream lines, all of which use a similar heart-shaped logo. The Dannone yogurt company is known in the U.S. as Dannon. I could go on!
I grew up in Kentucky and have lived in areas where Carl’s Jr. was dominate. When Carl’s Jr. bought out Hardee’s the prices increased pretty well across the board for Hardee’s. But Hardee’s also tried to do a shift from being just another fast food place to being an upscale fast food place. In my experience there is also a difference in management styles. Hardee’s managers often less friendly. An example is I’m a truck driver. I was in California and there was a Carl’s Jr. with bus parking. I went in and ordered and they were like so are you staying the night. If so we open at so you might even be able to have breakfast with us. I stopped at a Hardee’s that had a gravel lot for trucks to park. I was the only one in a lot big enough for 20 trucks. And I was told in the middle of the night I needed to find someplace else to park or they were going to have me towed. That’s one example but I’ve had many experiences. The food is typically fresher at a Carl’s Jr. than a Hardee’s. The restaurants are typically cleaner. In all its a better experience. But Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. menues are nearly identical.
so what's the central united states version? Just kidding, I'm from Arkansas (central US) and we have hardee's but only get commercials for Karl's jr....).
Yeah, they do in a few big cities in other countries, but since Carl's Jr is in the driver's seat in the company all the international locations are called Carl's Jr.
Thanks Tech Showdown, was wondering where on earth I had seen that logo and name before but couldn't put my finger on it. There are a few up on the North Island.
What about Checker's and Rally's? I've always wanted to know why Checkers packaging had both the names "Checkers and Rally's" as I've never seen a Rally's, only Checkers.
They have Rally's in Kentucky, Arizona, and California. Or you could look at the lists of all locations for Rally's: locations.rallys.com/index.html Checker's: locations.checkers.com/index.html
It likely related to fear of a lawsuit from CSK Auto. Their locations were branded "Kragen" in California, "Shucks" in Washington and Oregon, and "Checker" from Nevada/Idaho to the Mississippi River. Thus, "Checkers" had to called something else wherever their locations overlapped. And "Rally's" got chosen as the brand. CSK Auto has now been acquired by O'Reilly, though, so perhaps "Checkers" will soon be called that everywhere. CSK
Always wondered this as a kid as in FL some places only had Checkers while others had Rally's, now its all Checkers. In my mind I felt Rally's burgers tasted better but because I could never directly compare the two side by side I'll never know if their food was actually different or if I just associated my local piss poor Checkers with the entire brand.
I remember when I was a kid and tried the Hardee's hashbrowns for the first time. In fact, they're still my favorite breakfast fast food item till this day, and on top of that, me and my brother would spend hours in their ball pit, and I also remember playing some of their arcade cabinet games. Ugh, those were the good days. I also think it's nuts it's in 4th place behind McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's on biggest fast food restaurants in the country.
I wasn’t alive before the acquisition, but my dad was and he’s said when he used to visit the east coast, he’s always preferred Hardee’s over Carl’s Jr., but after it happened he said their selection went downhill and didn’t taste as good
Well, growing up in the west, I only knew Carl's Jr, but when I became a long haul truck driver, I was often in the east, and came across Hardee's. Saw the incredibly similar logo, and that is what made me go inside and find that it is basically the same restaurant. So I think that similar logo is the best way to attract customers from opposite sides of the country, but separate brands avoids alienating locals.
That means eventually it will become known exclusively as Carls Jr. It's like when O'Reily auto parts bought out Kragen they took their time in changing the name of Kragens and slowly introduced O'Reilly into the name of Kragen. So at first they marketed it as Kragen - O'Reilly and then O'Reilly - Kragen to just O'Reilly. So get ready eventually you'll just see a Carl's Jr. sign I suspect.
You struck a nerve with me when you brought up Carl's buying Green Burrito. I used to love Green Burrito when it was its own restaurant. But merged stores rarely keep up the same quality and always lose some menu items. It's not the same today.
David, the strange thing is Hardee's, who created the Six Dollar Burger, doesn't have it on their menu...but Carl's Jr, who bought Hardee's, DOES. I wonder why the menu is not the same.
I've been downing Hardee's steak biscuits since my dad introduced me to them as a small boy. We used to stop and get one for breakfast, and another to save for lunch, on the way to go bass fishing. Lots of nostalgia for me.
Me visiting a friend in South Carolina, "What the heck is Hardee's, and why did they steal Carl's Jr's star?"
My friend, "What's a Carl's Jr?"
We both stare at each other, utterly confused.
Haha, this is like a cyanide & happiness comic
Entropy *insert mike wazowski meme*
P[ď78f8uu
Hardee's started in North Carolina in the 60s as an independent business until Carl's Jr. bought them out probably the early 2000s, & I have never heard of Carls Jr. until I started seeing the commercials. ☺
My mom once drove us to Florida to see a cousin and we ended up finding a Hardee’s after almost a full day of driving. Let’s just say I was extremely suprised about it.
The solution is simple. Merge the names. "Welcome to Hard Carl's."
Life in the 413 😉
If I open a restaurant I'm using that
There's some innuendo right there to eat a hotdog!
I have no claim of ownership to the name so if you do then by all means go for it.
Who doesn't love some good innuendo?
“Hey bro can I copy the homework?”
“Yeah man just change it up a little”
this should have way more likes xD
💀
Charbroiled burgers
Charbroiled *thick* burgers
I was the 1,000th like
Underrated.
They should just embrace it and do the equivalent of the “are you team right Twix or left Twix” thing
There's a goofy mockumentary promo thing they did featuring the "founder", Carl Hardee and his son, Carl Jr...
you're a marketing genius
Same with ralleys vs checkers
Bruh on me . That would be hilarious .
GENIUS! NOW THEY CAN PUT TWO IN EACH TOWN!!
Pokemon: Carl's Jr.
and
Pokemon: Hardee's
2023
Then their sequels/remasters
Pokemon: Carl's Jr. Green Burrito
and
Pokemon: Hardee's Red Burrito
I was also thinking Pokémon lol
Next one:
Pokemon:KFC
And
Pokemon:Taco bell
Lol!
Robo Puff WE ARE IN 2020 ALREADY THATS 3 YEARS FROM NOW
I feel like if I ever got knocked out and woke up in the east coast with Hardee's being the first thing I'd see.... I'd think im in an alternate earth
Which is exactly why we don’t accept Carl’s Jr. over here on the East Coast. It’s just weird. Side note: you West Coasters have been trying to force Jack in the Box on us but nearly every single one has gone out of business over here. It’s just weird, you guys can have it back.
@@sickstuff7624 Jack in the box is eh anyways. We have In-N-Out, so in perfectly fine with that
As an April fools joke they should switch all carl jrs to hardee's and vice versa for a day. That would be spectacular.
I'm mexican, we only have Carl's Jr., and when i saw a hardees logo on the internet, i freaked out. I thought it was like a mandela effect.
@@anniesmith6165 lmao same
Carls Jr & Hardee's is a perfect example of 'don't fix what isn't broken.'
There’s a huge difference
Carl’s Jr. : Charbroiled burgers
Hardee’s : Charbroiled *Thick* Burgers
Lina 5423 Hardee’s thicc burgers
Hardee's got that good stuff with the Thick Burgers
Yep hardees is a Dairy queen ripoff.
@@anubis8181 It's more of a Burger King ripoff tbh.
*t* *h* *i* *c* *c*
The green/red burrito thing is funny as hell
I’ve been in both. They’re identical. However, I’ve found the Carl’s Jr. locations to be noticeably cleaner.
Same
The food just ISN'T the same though, totally different beef supplier it has to be. Tastes nothing similar.
Hardees fries were a lot better...
@@LowKeyLifeHKD Meh, they were big steak fries last I had them. Not my preference
@@OGPatriot03 Key word was "WERE" before Carl's Jr. took over they were same size as McDonalds and crispy every time with little waves in them not full crinkles.
Carls Jr doesn't offer the mushroom Swiss burger like Hardee's, and Hardee's is obviously missing the delicious western bacon cheeseburger that Carl's has. I spent 10 years in Virginia craving a double western cheeseburger...but the mushroom Swiss was pretty good. 1st thing I ate when I crossed back into California was a Carl's Jr double wbc. Worth the wait. Soooo good. Now I miss the mushroom swiss...
Try going somewhere that has both then
@ur lame steak n shake
carls had the muchroom swiss burger but took it off the menu because everyone hated it
Thats good to know cause I only get the shroom burger.
@ur lame oklahoma
Carl’s Jr.: Green Burrito Edition
Hardee’s: Red Burrito Edition
Salsa verde will always be superior 😩
Twix left and Twix right
Dabble bruh myob
Thebes yOU StOle ThAt
@@Etherus69 Oh shit I did? Sorry 'bout that.
This guy doing god's work. Answering questions nobody asked but everyone wanted to know
Fr
Solution: Rename ALL locations "Cardee's Jr. with Gred Burrito"
Damien Hammel-Davis lol
It would be blue burrito because green and red make blue
SniperXD12345 yeah...blue...yep most definitely blue
😂😂😂😂
I feel like they got inspired by Pokémon with their naming.
Red Burrito version, Green Burrito version.
Gotta eat 'em all
Joshua Asuncion That's probably next year. Lol.
Metapod burrito
Viewsk8
OH-BE-SITY
Can't wait for the Black Burrito.
I'm a trucker, and both are fairly common in truck stops in their corresponding areas. The menus are very similar for the most part, except for breakfast. Hardee's has a bunch of biscuits and one burrito, while Carl's has a few biscuits, several burritos, and The Breakfast Burger.
I have also noticed that when it comes to the burgers formerly known as The Six Dollar Burger (before the price on some exceeded $6) and now called The Angus Burger, the meat patties taste a little different. I believe thy use different seasoning blends.
I remember eating the Six Dollar Burger as a kid. It really isn't the same anymore.
Stay safe and stay clean
@@MagikuMaggi yeah, especially since it now actually costs six dollars--or more, lol.
I'm from California but was stationed in Virginia when they began rebranding Hardee's to the Carl's Jr. look, but it still took a bit for them to change and not everything did due to regional preferences. I was laughing though at what at the time was being called the "New Famous Star Burger", a brand name that pre-dates Hardee's entirely, lol.
Compromise: remove the name all together and just have the star as the logo/name
hire this man
Oh, that's already been done...in a video game. Look at any of the last three Ghost developed Need For Speed titles, and you'll find a restaurant called Star Awesome Burgers, which is based on Carl's Jr./Hardees that uses the star for both the logo and name.
Brilliant, you should be in marketing.
His actual name is Happy Star. You could call the restaurant Happy Star.
Feels very Japanese though.
Fun fact: my parents met by being co-workers at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's
Which one?
I guess that makes you their “Jr” 🙃.
So they met at two different restaurants?
@@quajamil1636 😂
that company is the reason you exist woah
"The California crowd is more health concious than the Southerners" welp, he done did just called us fat y'all. I'm fixing to eat more salads...
j Noah amen brother
I think this is somewhat of a stereotype. I would prefer to see some empirical data. It's not like you can't get a salad down South. In fact, they are pretty popular everywhere.
D R Fact wise the south is also heavier than the rest of the nation consider the the majority of the top fattest states are in the south
I'm an underweight vegan who resides in TN. Unfortunately I don't do anything to remove that stereotype, in fact I share similar sentiments towards my peers. I mean don't get me wrong, I love America, but Americans? Yeah, I can understand the global hatred, or at least the disdain, that my peers and I receive.
After moving here from Chicago, the underlying cultural racism is shocking, to say the least. For what is supposed to be "the Bible Belt", the lack of brotherly love, you know, unity among humans, is tangible. These Christians can have a million dollar home with 3 cars, donate 10% of their income to the crooked pastor, and still let families in their city go hungry? Additionally spending hundreds, if not thousands, on fences and home security systems rather than just, oh I don't know, not flaunting their wealth and rather investing in their community.
I know it sounds like I'm a hypocrite, judging my fellow countrymen and what not, however I don't willingly identify as a human, therefore being an American is merely a technicality to me. A product of semantics, because I can not deny my current existence as a human. A tragic circumstance, to be sure.
Furthermore, there is nothing inherently healthy about a salad. I don't eat fast food, but from what I understand, salads have come to be regarded as a carrier for dressings and deceased animal flesh. I can make a salad which will likely be unpalatable to many. I also eat for sustinence, decadent indulgence isn't my goal. Honestly, consumption and digestion is primitive, and I'm embarrassed to have to partake.
Anyways if anyone read this far, I'm truly sorry you wasted your time having to comprehend the tangential tamblings of a malnourished madman. Good day, friends
Bacon salad.
I used to live in Arizona and now live in Georgia, and I've been to both iterations of this restaurant. There are a few other minor menu differences that I've noticed between the two brands. The Carl's Jr. restaurants had chili cheese fries (which I haven't seen at Hardee's) and had some additional specialty burgers that included things like guacamole (which I haven't seen at the Hardee's locations). Again, these both feel like regional differences, as guacamole and chili are definitely popular items in the west/southwest.
Heck, and I thought Carl’s Jr. was the son of Hardee. Learn something new every day.
david davis lmao same 😂
Same here. I figured it was Carl Hardee, son of an immigrant or something.
R L Hey, R L, We also base stuff like this on “rumors,” that we may have heard.
@R L I guess at some point fast food franchise history was taught to you in detailed fashion. Did I miss out?
@R L common sense? The merger happened in 1997, world knowledge to me at that time consisted of Resident Evil item management and youth league sports. Even today, unless you have taken the aforementioned Fast Food Franchise History class, what *common* sense would lead to the conclusion presented in the video?
When you live in the Midwest so you see both of them
I've never seen a Carl's Jr in WI MN or IA
Bobby Greene there’s a couple in MN been to them.
*We're very lucky that we still have a Burger-Chef in my town, well sort of. When the Burger Chef company folded 35+yrs ago, the manager at our location bought the building for pennies on the Dollar. He has maintained a close relationship with the suppliers for Burger Chef, changed the name and virtually kept everything the same. Even the pickle slices are still the "Pocahontas" brand. The Salad Bar is still there but is now a YUGE cold condiments bar. Their Shoe String Fries are better than any burger chain out there. The melted cheese on their Double & Triple Cheeseburgers and their Sliced Ribeye Steak sandwich, makes my mouth water just thinkin' about 'em. xD*
*So if ya wanna taste of what REAL Burgers tasted like back in 60's-70's and are near Reidsville, NC, stop by "Pete's Burgers & More" and bring someone with ya, so you'll have someone to Slap!! xD*
*(I am not affiliated with Pete's Burgers & More, but my Belly is.)*
I live in the midwest never heard of Carl's jr until now
Live in Illinois, seen both here
Company man: “pretend I’m a rich guy!”
*Me too man, me too*
que the Incredibles scene...
I was born and raised in CA and only knew of Carl’s Jr. I have recently moved to Iowa and Hardee’s is the same thing. Same food, same charbroiled burgers. It’s wonderful
i remember being about 9 and wondering why Hardee's changed their simple, but good looking enough logo to this quasi-retro looking star logo.
now i know, two decades later
I worked at hardee's when it happened. And never knew
symbol
You know these comments are coming: Rally's and Checkers??
Whataburger is superior
Gabor the Blind Guy So was I.
And maybe Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes?
Exactly what I was thinking!
I was just about to say that! Lol!
Hey wait. Just use parts of both to make
CHARLEES
Hard's Jr.
nice sentence
It would be Chardee's or Hardee Jr.
Doesn't have to be. First two initials then the last three of each
C H arl ee's
Sounds better to me
Or carlee's
Carl’s Jr. has Chicken Stars, Hardee’s does not. Learned that the hard way…
Hardee's had them for a while though.
In the Midwest they don't really have either. Only a couple of Hardees here and there.
CZsWorld I live in Midwest and I see Hardees everywhere.. I have atleast 4 within 30 minutes
Hardee's used to be common in Michigan. then by the end of the 90s they were gone completely
I live in northern Missouri and see them all the time.
The ones opened in the Chicago area have been closing left and right only a couple months after opening
Really? Cuz where I live, we have both
“Alright, I came up with $15, I need you to give me $325”
Absolutely crazy 😂
He likely could have lent that money with no money in savings. The business plan was what convinced the lender not his savings.
@@anonnyanonymous4800 it’s a joke, my guy
@Austin Whisler ya I rewound 3 times to make sure I heard that right!
@@anonnyanonymous4800 You obviously missed the joke my dude
Carl's Junior has a western bacon cheeseburger. Made with onion rings and bbq sauce.
Hardee's does not offer this burger.
Hardee's does offer that here in Kansas.
The Western is my favorite thing to order at Carl's Jr 😁👍!
That don’t even sound good
Duuhh
@@dougphisig do you guys get coupons? I'm moving to Ks from Ca
I remember back in the day that Hardee's was trying to Rebrand itself. I remember seeing ads for sourdough Frisco burger, then I saw them advertising roast beef sandwiches, then they went to Fried Chicken. Hardee's was having an identity crisis when I was growing up
I grew up in VA in the late 80"s early 90's and every Hardee's around did fried chicken. It was the main thing on the menu.
@@Larities0 During that time the former owner of Hardee's acquired Roy Rogers and added their fried chicken to the menu.
In GA we still have all of the mentioned items.
Back in the day in the mid-70s the Hardee's burgers were way better than McDonald's
that sourdough frisco burger is one of my favorite fast food burgers
In my town, they have one with a double sided sign that says "Carl's Jr" on the front and "Hardee's" on the back. Pretty sure it maintains more Carl's Jr qualities, though.
what town lol. i would love to see that
The mullet of restaurants.
@@arikq_nyc438 you trying to doxx em?
Have always wondered about Hardees/Carls Jrs. Thanks for the video clearing it up. Used to go to Hardees a lot when they had the $6 burger for $3. Early 2000's I think.
Yep, you're right. Those burgers were very good. Shame there not on the menu any longer.
When I was in College in Indiana in the early 80s, I knew, and loved going to Hardee's. Fastforward to the early 90s. I returned to the U.S. for Grad School, this time in Arizona. Imagine my surprise upon seeing a Carl's Jr. Looking just like Hardee's, but with a different name, so I did my research and found out that they were the same Company. Actually educated my friends in Arizona about Hardee's. It was good to finally get the history. Still love and miss both, even though I've been back home in Trinidad since 1994!
When I moved to CA after graduating from college in the mid-1970's, I had my first experience with Carl's Jr. & fell in love. Love the char-broiled hamburgers, etc. even though it was more experience than other fast food places. The one thing I remember & miss is their old fries. They were mashed potatoes formed into french fry shape & then deep fried. No one has done anything like them since Carl's got rid of them but they were my favorite french fries!!
Just call it Carl Hardee's Yellow Burrito Jr. and the fusion is complete. Done, and done.
BlueBuddha the New Nintendo 3DS XL of burger chains
red version or green version is there any food item version exclusive
Honestly they could have used Green burrito.
Aquire that company, spread that to hardees and carls Jr and then they would be tying the two together more than creating a completely separate chain name
Brown burrito
Special Pikachu edition
There is a similar branding thing between Burger King in the US and Hungry Jacks in Australia, but completely different reasons. It is a really good story
dangerouslytalented, we're talking different owners there, since it was a franchisee issue. This is what ultimately became the same owner in the same country, even in the same state in a couple of them. Both interesting, but the basis is quite different.
syxepop in Melbourne, when Burger King tried to muscle in, we had two identical restaurants next door to each other, identical branding, except one was Burger King and the other was hungry jacks
Always curious why is it Hungry Jacks all over Australia except the airport's restaurants are called Burger King. I susect it has something to do with trademark that does not apply in the airport area.
dangerouslytalented, but it wasn't an issue of one entrepreneur buying another. Hungry Jack happened to be a Pillsbury (who owned BK at that moment) brand that was given to the former franchisee. So it became a franchisor / franchisee issue. Today BK is owned by an investment group lead by Brazil's richest man.
Henry Liu because airports have a large number of foreigners eating there.
My grandpa is from Tennessee, and he calls Carl's Hardee's, I asked him why he called it Hardee's, and he said they were the same thing, just called different where he is from.
I'm from Tennessee also UwU
It's not the same though, food supply has to be different because the beef doesn't taste similar.
@@OGPatriot03 Nor the fries and the menus are different. I grew up in a Carl's area and have lived in a Hardee's area and after trying Hardees twice, never again.
@@cchavezjr7 I share the same opinion, Carl's is much better. Hardess beef tasted like school food..
@@Bryce_XYZ OwO
Definitely remember Hardee's before 1997. They were kind of homey feeling-- fireplaces, decorative lighting, ceiling fans, big booths, some had a private dining room. Frisco burger was my personal favorite.
Around here, when they got bought out, all of their locations were converted to something called CharCee's (may have been Char-Cee's) which I assume was the franchise owner trying to be successful on his/her own. They didnt last long and closed. Some of their locations became McDonalds, others became Popeye's Chicken. None are still Hardees.
My dad used to say that you can tell you're in the south based off the number of Hardee's, never relised they are an east coast thing, and not a southern one.
you know you are in the south when you see the Waffle House!
AMERICAN BADASS 14 in pa they have like 24436535
From the perspective of the West, the south is part of the East.
I live in NYC but the closest Hardee’s to me is in Delaware lol
Jeff Combs to us in the south, we also call it the east lol
They should just smash them together and call them Cardees Red Green Burrito Burgers. LOL.
Hmm... Carl + Hardee + red + green + burrito =
Cardi's Brown Burrito....
I'm thinking Carl Hardee jr. might sound a bit more dignified, and it keeps the best perspective of both. BTW, I mean this at a corporate level. Something like Carl Hardee Jr., LLC or similar. The store branding is a trick that is nearly impossible to pull off without a blockbuster budget, and even then, it would be tough. The national advertising has been combined significantly for well over a decade. I figure the reluctance is down to strong regional recognition and loyalty. Totally new signs and in-store marketing would be required very quickly as well. The cups and other mass branding supplies could easily be redesigned to include both brands though.
I'm not sure why they didn't go with Green Burrito with Hardee's, but that particular lack of integration branding is a reasonably clear indication the brands aren't likely to fully merge any time soon. I don't know about Hardee's/Red Burrito, but Green Burrito is not available at every Carl's Jr. location, including brand new locations.
Charbroiled burritos
George V. Cohea in Tennessee, theres many hardee's, but only one hardee's red burrito in my area
youtubasoarus there used to be one in Victorville, but they converted it into a Starbucks now. Not bad, but it gets scary at night
I’ve never had Hardee’s or Carl’s jr, but I can just vividly remember waking up on very late nights while my parents were driving around, and seeing that little star with a face. I should probably try it for once
It ain't bad. It's actually pretty good.
They make pretty great burgers tbh.
Definitely should try it. Damn good burgers
@Almxnd _milkshxke is dubai a costly place to live?
@Almxnd _milkshxke OK sorry, I was just teasing. I actually live there and I was feeling bored so I asked it. I know dubai is not a country, I just implied that to make it look like I don't live here. Yup, cost is very high, but in places like Karama, its not that costly. Sorry for possibly tricking and deceiving you
:(
From my experience with both versions, Carl's Jr tends to feature western style burgers more frequently, while Hardee's has more BBQ inspired items frequently. The deciding factor for me is the fact that Hardee's features the mushroom swiss burger and Frisco burger on their normal menu, while Carl's Jr does not have these burgers. These two burgers have always been my favorite since I was a kid, so Hardee's wins it for me.
those are my two favorite burgers too and i was really disappointed when I realized carls jr didnt have them
Didn't Hardees sell a cheeseburger with pulled pork on it at one point?
"Hardee's Jr."
Problem solved.
ryngak or Carl’s Hard
Jr is just a extension, it’s like “Mr. Mrs. Ms. Sr. It doesn’t have any meaning
@@draiglynix5539
Mr.=Mister
Ms.=Miss
Mrs=Mistress?
Sr.=Senior
Jr.=Junior
Or carldees
@@coreyc9432 Mrs. is just Ms. but you use it for women who are married.
It's pronounced "Miss-es"
*Identity crisis*
Princess SparklySequins, ikr
Princess SparklySequins not really. They’re keeping the two names because it’s their brand identity. You can change all the Hardee’s on the east into Carl’s Jr.‘s and nobody will be familiar with it and vice versa
Princess SparklySequins it’s yanni .... not laurel
Luis Gutierrez or they will just realize it’s the exact same shit after about a day and a half lmao
I'm from Kansas, and here its Hardee's, while one state over in Colorado its Carl's Jr. I think the midwest would be the best place to try to reform the brand into one name (Wyoming and Oklahoma are good examples) because I feel like most of us aren't as loyal to either brand, and also already know about the name thing.
I believe they have? I live in OK and I could have sworn we had a Hardee’s nearby that’s sign got changed to Carl’s Jr.
I’m familiar with both and have gotten food from both (don’t really care for either), but Carl’s is more normal to me.
I didn’t know until just now
There is like 1 Carl's Jr. I know of in Texas, its in a town called Van attached to a Love's Travel Shop. I absolutely love Carls Jr and make it a point to stop and get the double western combo with seasoned fries everytime i pass through. God i really do love that place.
I grew up near 2 Hardees. They both eventually closed by the early 2000s. I simply thought they went out of business altogether until I started seeing them while traveling for work. Then I came across a Carl's Jr. and was confused, because they looked exactly like Hardees. I went inside and the menu was nearly identical as well. My curiosity led me to a conversation with the manager who basically just said, "Yea, Carl's Jr. bought Hardee's but didn't want to change the name."
And for those of you who have been around a little while, Hardee's boosted their sales in a major way back around 1990 when they started the "2 burgers, 2 fries, 2 bucks" deal. Thank god that isn't still around because I'd be 400lbs!
ForWhomTheGameTolls I have SUCH fond memories of that deal! I remember my aunt treating her son, me and my brother to Hardee's after little league games. Lol she always joked how we were the cheapest dates in town. Wow, who would think there was a time when fast food was a treat...
I thought the same thing about waffle house, a store near me closed down and considering everyone in the south talks mad shit about it I thought they just went out of business until i found out otherwise.
You said the menu was "nearly identical". What were the differences ?
just change both names to carldee's jr
Republican Banana hard carl’s seems more preferable????
Hard Carl's or Carldee
Chardeemacdennis is what they should call it.
That would be so expensive also people would wonder where Hardee’s went and they would be less popular there.
Harlee's senior
A moment of silence for the people in the middle of America who don’t have hardees or Carl’s Jr.
I think they might have both actually...
Yeah I’ve lived in Texas and Oklahoma we have both
I live in the west and theres a hardees and a carls jr right next to each other
Depends on which state, most states have one of them. I live in Iowa and we have a multiple Hardee’s around Des Moines and the suburbs.
Well in Florida where I live we dont got any
I grew up in Georgia in the 60's; my recollection of Hardee's was walking to the restaurant with my babysitter and getting a hamburger. But what was most memorable was getting a balloon of the rotund Hardee's character where flat cardboard feet were attached to the knot of the balloon so it could stand. I think Hardee's may have been the only burger joint in our little town. Now I have lived in Los Angeles for the past 24 years and have patronized Carl's Jr. since. The biscuits don't taste the same.
Edited for an additional comment: I think it was a great marketing strategy for Carl's Jr. to keep the Hardee's name in the East/Southeast to avoid losing a huge fan base.
I remember Hardee's before the acquisition.
As you mentioned in the video, the guys that owned them didn't know what to do with the brand. While the restaurants weren't particularly dirty, they felt very outdated and in big need of renovation.
As for the food, they were probably most known for their chicken pre-acquisition... and no, I'm not talking chicken sandwiches or chicken tenders, but rather straight up KFC-style legs, breasts and thighs. I guess it's pretty hard to screw that up, which is why it was their big seller - everything else they had just felt like mediocre imitations of other food chains. Their menus were huge and bloated with a little bit of everything on it, none of it particularly good.
I remember a lot of people I knew hated the acquisition because they were used to the bloated menu, but I was excited. Instead of 50 burgers, none of them worth a crap, we get a half dozen burgers that you literally cannot find at any other fast food restaurant? It was like the place actually had a purpose.
Ya know, outside of their breakfast. Pre- and Post-Acquisition, Hardee's was and is always packed during breakfast hours. I rarely was up in time for breakfast, but the old Hardee's I grew up around used to be 24/7, and they'd start serving breakfast at 3 AM, so I'd usually pick up a chicken biscuit and some hashbrowns before hitting the sack. Good times.
Hardcore Report Breakfast is the only thing worth eating at Hardee's now.
The best burger to come out of Old Hardee’s was the Frisco. I was only 15 when they merged, and the local Hardee’s had been closed for a few years, so my memory is hazy on the exact taste and style. But even with Carl’s Thickburgers, the signature flavour of the sourdough, mayo, tomato, bacon, and swiss, lives on.
Related: after the Frisco burger became a hit, Hardee’s ran with it, first making a Frisco breakfast sandwich, then a New York sandwich... I feel like there was more, but my memory’s only so good at stuff from 22-25 years ago!
Edit: I looked up some old commercials. The Frisco Club! Haven’t thought about that one for probably 20+ years. Damn
th-cam.com/video/GKDlMRl9N8g/w-d-xo.html
And this, the Frisco Grilled Chicken sandwich
th-cam.com/video/FfEia1OWLVA/w-d-xo.html
Yea That is what I remember the bucket of chicken was the and the sides were the only they I liked form Hardees maybe their sausage biscuits but everything else was mediocre and most Hardees where I live in SC are very slow and dirty
Hardcore Report I was about to say the same thing. I liked their fried chicken. I wish they still had it. Hardees underwent huge changes in what I would say was the early 2000's to become what they are today.
I grew up in the gulf south. Hardee’s was fairly common and had reputation for serving the best fast food breakfast. They still have that reputation though it may not be accurate anymore. In the early to mid ‘90’s circa ‘93 until Carl’s Jr squired it Hardee’s began serving fried chicken as well as burgers. As I recall the fried chicken was pretty good I liked it as much as Popeyes, Church’s or KFC. It was real crispy. After the acquisition in ‘97 Hardee’s dropped the chicken and began to focus on premium quality burgers, something that wasn’t really there before when the mainly focused on a breakfast business. Good info in this video thanks.
Big Lew BBQ I grew up in three different states as a kid. When I was a teenager in Virginia there were Hardee's all over and then I moved to Missouri in my senior year of high school and I worked at a Hardee's. Hardee's had the burgers and fries like Burger King and Mcdonalds but they also had a great breakfast menu. But oddly enough they also had roast beef sandwiches like Arby's and chicken like KFC. Both of which I don't think they have anymore although I haven't been to one in years as I live in South Florida and Hardee's only comes down in Florida as far as Orlando. I use to love working there until I quit and went to Mcdonalds for a little more money, lol. I started working for Hardee's right after the rebrand in like 98 and I remember the store had just gotten a remodel with the new Star logo, etc.
I think Hardee's has stayed out of the South Florida area due to a ton of competition and large Spanish population which would think it represents a cowboy or country brand? I can just imagine them trying to say Hardee's or Carl's Jr, lol. South Florida is also the birthplace of Miami Subs (rebranded Miami Grill) and Burger King so add in Wendys, Taco Bell, Arby's, Sub Way and the Numero Uno McDonald's and you have yourself a hell of a cage match! Lol!
my dad and I used to go Hardees for the chicken
Grew up in Los Angeles and haven't been to a Hardees location yet since I've moved out east but I hope it's as good as Carl's Jr
Cody Casey Never been to a Carl’s Jr. but they are supposed to be the same.
Big Lew BBQ can you describe a burger for me? Like bite wise? I dont know what to expect from a hardees even though I've lived out east for over a year now
why is little ceasars so damn cheap
chiefinvaderzim they buy in bulk and have a limited menu. Making the price per pizza for them about
I'd rather eat cold buffet pizza from a dumpster than Little Caesars
So they don't have to drug test employees.
Jerimy Carroll spending on drug testing costs money? Less overhead = cheaper product
I'd rather eat Little Caesars than the TRASH that is Pizza Hut!
I remember watching a video and seeing Carl's junior logo, and I was like "yo wtf aint that Hardee's?"
Same here except I was like “wtf why did Carl’s Jr. change their brand name to “hArDeEs”?
Do Checkers and Rallys
Caleb Sherman I have Checker's in my area but the only thing is good it's the fries. Funny enough I never been there I see commercials of Hardee's but there's no Hardee's in my area within 50 miles.
Even the chicken? Ralleys has pretty good chicken
elemomnialpha that's a mix bag sometimes it's OK the other times it's too fucking hard like a brick
Godless Toyota you must be unfamiliar with their burgers. Go get a big Buford and let me know what you think! Or the chicken bites box is great for your money if you're in college kid like me
Mr. Goat I'm familiar with them the Big Bluford is not so good in my opinion but I think it's because of the idiot that made it. But the chicken bites and fries are OK but I think it's down to the cook. But my opinion on the fries are really good much better than McDonald's and Burger King.
Carl's Jr: "Why do your burgers look so different than the advertised picture?" Falling Down moment.
Do any burgers really look like any commercial?
@@nismodrgn only to a blind guy
@@hungryjack8032 don't be disrespectful.
@@giancarlofelicianocastaned9316 you must be the guy making the commercials.
@@hungryjack8032 Bro I can't believe you just say that, what if a blind person reads your comment? Smh people these days don't have any common sense... 😒
As someone who moved from the east coast to the west coast you left off one violently important menu item difference that causes us southerners to despise Carl's Jr. The Hardee's Cinnamon Raisin Biscuit.
You don't have them on the west coast and it's an epic tragedy.
Crown Rights Media Hardee's does not have the Western Bacon Cheeseburger of Carl's either. Carl's has waffle shaped 'criss cut' fries, while Hardee's has seasoned curly fries. Hardee's has crinkle cut regular fries, while Carl's has shoestring like regular fries. Actually, other than generic categories, their two menus are nothing alike... Even the meat tastes different.
Crown Rights Media how do you miss wawa? And Rita’s water ice? And bojangles? And turkey hill? And being able to call a hoagie a hoagie with out people giving you weird looks? The only thing you gained from moving to the west is in and out burger but that one positive cancels out because they took away your “assault style weapons”
Move to Arizona then, go to pawn shop for AR-15 and Jack In The Box for curly fries, make crinkle fries at home.
Tevo77777 😂😂
they're not even the same anymore. Around the time of the menu shift they changed from being these freshly made, gooey Homestyle bakery biscuits to a pre-made texture. Even looking at them in the box, they're perfectly identical... *_every single one_* with a very machined appearance. The Taste is evident, especially when they advertise freshly made biscuits, so much I don't think it applies to the cinnamon raisin.
Bojangles was the same way the first one that opened up in my area had the *_amazing_* biscuits my grandparents remembered and their sweet potato pies were deep fried and sugar coated now they're baked and plain but that's probably a health shift more than a budget thing.
Perfect, I lived in San Diego and went to Carl's often, then I moved back home to North Carolina and now go to Hardee's. Pretty much the same.
Hardee's before 1997 used to have fried chicken that would rival KFC
They still have fried chicken. Just ate some from there
Hardee's still has fried chicken at many locations in the Carolina's where the chain started.
Rip fried chicken
just talking about this the other night...yum
I remember that
I didn’t even know “Hardee’s” existed before this video. I literally thought it was photoshop.
I didn’t know Carl jrs existed until this video. Weird.
Relatable
I know both.
Hardee's is FANTASTIC. Better than Burger King and several others by a mile. They're also more family aimed than Carls Jr.
Lol i didnt know about Carls. Jr
I love Hardee's, i think they are same
Fun fact: There used to be a Carl's Jr. Jr. at the corner of Sunset and Highland in Los Angeles. It was named that because you couldn't go inside. It was just a window where you ordered and some tables outside where you could sit. It closed a few years ago though. Now it's a Chick-Fil-A (with the same "order at the window and sit outside" configuration).
I think I saw one of those here in Denver as a child, but is now a good times, as that seems a little more fitting for that chain
George Igoe i remember that .. lol
George Igoe Holy shit, I see that chick fil a everyday.
George Igoe: I remember that. I used to be at KUZZ radio before being transferred down to a Station between Daytona and Orlando. Good memories.
Prior to the CJJ at Highland and Sunset, it was a Rally's, then a Rally's Green Burrito. Hmmm. See a connection?
I’ve always wondered why it was “Carl’s Jr” and not “Carl Jr’s”, but never wondered enough to actually look up the reason. Thank you for answering that for me!
Growing up with Hardee's, the practically sold everything. Roast beef sandwiches, fried chicken, burgers, etc. They even had hand dipped ice cream.Today's Hardee's just isn't what it was, not because of nostalgia, but simply from the menu.
Oh boy... Hardee's to me is a big trip back to the 1980s. Strangely, what I miss most are their hotdogs and the condiment dispensers/pumps they had on the sidelines from where you ordered. I would take my tray and stack it with paper cups full of delicious horseradish sauce.
Yep Hardees had some great fried chicken. And arbys like roast beef. It was always a treat to get to go to Hardees.
Yes, I really miss the Hardeee's I grew up with. I remember their Roast Beef Sandwiches and Fresh Fried Chicken. They had the best Bacon Cheeseburgers. They still have Hot Dogs and Hot Ham and Cheese sandwiches. And their breakfast biscuits are still legit.
I enjoyed the roast beef sandwiches and I forgot about the fried chicken!
My local Hardee's died not long after they started using and heavily promoting Angus beef. The prices went up as did wait times, unless you were in the drive through. I remember going there on my lunch one day and seeing about 7 or 8 orders go through while I was waiting for my Frisco burger. When it stopped being 'fast food' people stopped going. Only know of one still around here.
I'm literally at Carl's Jr and I get the notification for this video... Are you watching me Company Man?
ssshhhhhhhhhh... umm... no, he's not.... and don't forget to turn off your blinker... oh there you go, nevermind...
Mr Hardee quit when he only had one store. LOL SMH That was sure a big mistake.
Richard's World Traveler hhaaha thats what i was thinking, oh man!! 😂
Not necessarily. He may well not have been capable of taking the chain to the heights it now enjoys.
Richard's World Traveler most cains are sold befor their a hit. Mc D. El pollo loco Veronicas secret so on .
Not everyone is cut out to be a super business man, he may have been more of a worker.
Oh, that explains it! I was thinking -> oops, Huge mistake???? 🍔🍟💵💰 😲😵😨😱
I've been around Hardee's in Iowa all my life. Never been to a Carl's Jr. One thing I was curious about and struggled to find when looking previously at the Carl's Jr. website, do they have the Roast Beef, Big Roast Beef, Monster Roast Beef Sandwiches that Hardee's has. Its always been a favorite of mine, especially as I don't live close to Arby's.
I remember seeing my first time seeing Carl Jr. I was like WTF is this booth leg Hardee's. Im from NC we got these everywhere i can assure the both of them are pretty much the same.
i grew up in NC, second job was a hardee's in garner (i fried chicken, remember when hardee's sold fried chicken?) but i spent summers traveling and knew carl jr. well. the moment i saw the star on hardees, my only question became "who bought who?"
yup, garner senior high, class of 95' i worked at hardee's on Hwy 50 at timber crossings from 93 to 97. the hardees where i live now has hot dogs but no fried chicken, but they LOOK like carl jr.s
Path Evermore this is interesting. I know at least two locations in durham has fried chicken. I must admit i haven't to hardee in a couple years. This company business model may be more specialized than I thought.
Since CKE bought Hardee's, Hardee's is a bootleg Carl's Jr., not the other way around.
The Movie Dealers shhhhiiitttt they bought out hardee's because they couldn't hang.
So there's a slightly similar story in St. Louis regarding Panera. In St. Louis, Panera is called St. Louis Bread Co. The original St. Louis Bread Co. stores were bought by Au Bon Pain, which turned the company into a national chain and rebranded it as "Panera," but kept the St. Louis Bread Co. name in the St. Louis region. When I first moved to St. Louis about ten years ago, having spent the previous five years in Chicago, I was shocked to see that some company called St. Louis Bread Co. had stolen Panera's logo, menu items, and even utensils!
Paul company man should do a video on this story.
Yep. It was, is and always will be “bread co.” to people from STL. I had the same kind of reaction when I found out there was a parent company called Panera. Haha!
Also, doesn’t St. Louis have really good ribs?
Another restaurant with 2 names is Panera or St.Louis Bread Company which was its original name before it was acquired and expanded outside of St.Louis and remains St.Louis bread company in St.Louis
Na-nani??? Panera has another name???
John beat me to it with the joke lol. Lived in STL metro me entire life, never heard of those 2, but we have 'Breadco' lol
Pr Jam is Saint Louis Bread Comoany related to Atlanta Bread Company?
In Phoenix Panera was Paradise Bakery, but when I left they were in the process of rebranding them all.
and another thing!!! red cars have the best gas mileage of every single pickup that has ever driven across the bridge to Hawaii.... (just as irrelevant as your comment. thanks for playing)
Here’s a fun one, I’ve been to both, as I currently live in the east side of the USA, naturally, I’ve visited Hardee’s occasionally, but I went to Carl’s Jr back when I lived in Mexico nearly 9 years ago and they still feel the same.
They are not the only company to do this. On the East Coast people buy "Hellman's" mayonnaise, while on the West Coast they buy "Best Foods" mayonnaise. Good Humor is one of many brands around the world used by Unilever for its ice cream lines, all of which use a similar heart-shaped logo. The Dannone yogurt company is known in the U.S. as Dannon. I could go on!
Robert G Exactly! This made me think of Dreyer’s vs Eddy’s icecream, or how Burger King is called Hungry Jack’s in Australia
ACtually, Hellman's and Best Foods are not quite the same-the recipes are slightly different.
Hellmans is the shit, never heard of best foods before tho
HELLMAN'S IS TRUE SLAVIC POWER
Moving from Florida to Montana was very confusing when I went to buy mayonnaise.
Yes, because I think "Carl's Jr." when I think "health conscious...."
I want my burgers
*EXTRA THICC*
*thick
r0bw00d it was a *joke*
Some joke, then.
Over what? A piss poor joke? What's your malfunction, son?
r0bw00d someone's been kicked in the ass alot because your acting very butthurt over a damn joke lol
I grew up in Kentucky and have lived in areas where Carl’s Jr. was dominate.
When Carl’s Jr. bought out Hardee’s the prices increased pretty well across the board for Hardee’s. But Hardee’s also tried to do a shift from being just another fast food place to being an upscale fast food place.
In my experience there is also a difference in management styles. Hardee’s managers often less friendly. An example is I’m a truck driver. I was in California and there was a Carl’s Jr. with bus parking. I went in and ordered and they were like so are you staying the night. If so we open at so you might even be able to have breakfast with us. I stopped at a Hardee’s that had a gravel lot for trucks to park. I was the only one in a lot big enough for 20 trucks. And I was told in the middle of the night I needed to find someplace else to park or they were going to have me towed.
That’s one example but I’ve had many experiences. The food is typically fresher at a Carl’s Jr. than a Hardee’s. The restaurants are typically cleaner. In all its a better experience.
But Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. menues are nearly identical.
so what's the central united states version? Just kidding, I'm from Arkansas (central US) and we have hardee's but only get commercials for Karl's jr....).
Carl*
Carol*
Interesting
In the central united states, we often spell it as "karl's jr." than Carl.
Can confirm for Missouri and Kansas.
We only have Carl's Jr here in New Zealand, nobody here has even heard of Hardee's
Tech Showdown I didn't even know Carl's Jr/Hardees had locations outside the US.
Yeah, they do in a few big cities in other countries, but since Carl's Jr is in the driver's seat in the company all the international locations are called Carl's Jr.
In the UAE, it is Hardees
In indonesia, it's carls jr.
Thanks Tech Showdown, was wondering where on earth I had seen that logo and name before but couldn't put my finger on it. There are a few up on the North Island.
What about Checker's and Rally's? I've always wanted to know why Checkers packaging had both the names "Checkers and Rally's" as I've never seen a Rally's, only Checkers.
They have Rally's in Kentucky, Arizona, and California.
Or you could look at the lists of all locations for
Rally's: locations.rallys.com/index.html
Checker's: locations.checkers.com/index.html
There is only one Rally's here in Huntington, WV....always thought of Checkers as a more southern sort of thing....like in the Carolinas
It likely related to fear of a lawsuit from CSK Auto. Their locations were branded "Kragen" in California, "Shucks" in Washington and Oregon, and "Checker" from Nevada/Idaho to the Mississippi River. Thus, "Checkers" had to called something else wherever their locations overlapped. And "Rally's" got chosen as the brand.
CSK Auto has now been acquired by O'Reilly, though, so perhaps "Checkers" will soon be called that everywhere.
CSK
teewrecks44 We have like 5 Checkers NYC
Always wondered this as a kid as in FL some places only had Checkers while others had Rally's, now its all Checkers.
In my mind I felt Rally's burgers tasted better but because I could never directly compare the two side by side I'll never know if their food was actually different or if I just associated my local piss poor Checkers with the entire brand.
I remember when I was a kid and tried the Hardee's hashbrowns for the first time. In fact, they're still my favorite breakfast fast food item till this day, and on top of that, me and my brother would spend hours in their ball pit, and I also remember playing some of their arcade cabinet games. Ugh, those were the good days. I also think it's nuts it's in 4th place behind McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's on biggest fast food restaurants in the country.
Carl’s Jr is just a normal burger.
But Hardee’s is a T H I C C BURGER!
Nopparuj Ananvoranich wrong carls brought the 6$ burger pattie bitch
Uh...I just ordered that burger at Carl's jr.
Nopparuj Ananvoranich good meme pun
Carls jr has the thick burger up here in Canada.
Carl's 6 dollar burger is a half pound patty. The Hardee's thick burger is a third pound patty. 6 dollar > thickburger.
I wasn’t alive before the acquisition, but my dad was and he’s said when he used to visit the east coast, he’s always preferred Hardee’s over Carl’s Jr., but after it happened he said their selection went downhill and didn’t taste as good
Hardee's used to be like Arby's with burgers and no curly fries. They even had similar Logos at some point in the 90's
*They also both share the hypersexualized commercials with insanely attractive people eating sandwhiches.*
I have sex with paris daily.. she's my fav fantasy
... messily.
Carlos Smith Fun Commercials
Those commercials seem to fit Harders better than Carl's Jr.
Who some who stay beautiful after eating giant sandwiches.
Well, growing up in the west, I only knew Carl's Jr, but when I became a long haul truck driver, I was often in the east, and came across Hardee's. Saw the incredibly similar logo, and that is what made me go inside and find that it is basically the same restaurant. So I think that similar logo is the best way to attract customers from opposite sides of the country, but separate brands avoids alienating locals.
I've been to both. They're basically 95% the same thing
What's the 5%?
I work at hardees and it is so much different
And yet no one says how it is different
J P No it’s not. Carl’s Jr. is the bad one. Terrible burgers and fries!!!!
Liam Ryan *wrong*
In North Dakota, I used to buy the Monster Burger from Hardee's. Loved that thing.
Best Hardee's Burger ever except for the fact for the calorie content of one single meal is twice of what you should have in one day!
and travis your point is?
Checkers and Rally’s does the same thing…East coast is checkers and west coast is rally’s
It doesn't sound *too* weird, especially after you discussed Nestle having 3-4 different water brands for different US regions.
Carl’s Jr. has waffle fries while Hardee’s sells curly fries, also there’s like 2-3 burgers that are different at each place
And where I live both names are used on the sign. So strange...
NovaDoll Well, where you live? Because I want to come visit you..
Bakurafan88 Michigan.
same here in texas
That means eventually it will become known exclusively as Carls Jr. It's like when O'Reily auto parts bought out Kragen they took their time in changing the name of Kragens and slowly introduced O'Reilly into the name of Kragen. So at first they marketed it as Kragen - O'Reilly and then O'Reilly - Kragen to just O'Reilly. So get ready eventually you'll just see a Carl's Jr. sign I suspect.
Same in South Dakota
So... they are like the pokemon red and blue of restaurants?
erick emilio gazcon arevalo Yeah except at one location you can catch diabetes, and at the other you can catch heartburn! 😂😂😂
Gotta catch em all!
When I was little I used to think it was called Carlos Jr.
Hey what's up beautiful hair ! You a foodie?!
Laney Leticia thaaattts the Hispanic version
Are you Mexican?
yall niggas need a snickers
@@deafbyhiphop these savges beat me to it, so im wit u bro lol
You struck a nerve with me when you brought up Carl's buying Green Burrito. I used to love Green Burrito when it was its own restaurant. But merged stores rarely keep up the same quality and always lose some menu items. It's not the same today.
What bout the red burrito 😂
Anyone remember those Taco Bell/ Pizza Hut drive thru combo stores? Drive thru personal pan pizzas = dope as hell!
They have Taco Bell/KFC combos up here in Utah. I wouldn't mind a pizza with my tacos. So many ways to get fat. 🤤
Yeah theres one by me
Yep and the taco Bell / KFC
That happened because of PepsiCo
552mustang we have those in California lol, and we have KFC/A&W restaurants here too.
I live in Idaho and both companies' commercials are done together. Often ending "Only at Carl's Jr. and Hardees."
Gabriel Meyer California does it too sometimes and I've seen a few Hardee's but more Carl's Jr places overall
Same but Ohio
I'm not American at all and know nothing about these companies, but i still think it's very interesting and amusing
Where r u from
herein mygarage I'm from Belgium in Europe
Milan Machiels we know where Belgium at you ain't got to say Europe.
Twistr You don't count for the whole nation my mans
Milan Machiels 4sho
Hardee's died when they stopped selling the "Husky" and took out the real charcoal grills.
Also, remember when the Six Dollar Burger cost less than $6?
Do you remember why it was called that?
jmowreader Yup. Maybe they can release it again as the ten dollar burger?
David, the strange thing is Hardee's, who created the Six Dollar Burger, doesn't have it on their menu...but Carl's Jr, who bought Hardee's, DOES. I wonder why the menu is not the same.
yeah it was like $3 for a restaurant style burger !
The six dollar burger was post merger.
I've been downing Hardee's steak biscuits since my dad introduced me to them as a small boy. We used to stop and get one for breakfast, and another to save for lunch, on the way to go bass fishing. Lots of nostalgia for me.
UPDATE: Carl's Jr recently opened in New York City.
Peter Rocco And it’s pretty awesome. Tastes like someone selling BK burgers and McDs fries in the same restaurant.
Ironically, they opened right NEXT to MCDonald's. in Manhattan! LOL
It’s opened at 34st
And now there’s one opening soon in Coney Island
Lol, you guys live in like HIMYM town. What's that like?
Peter Rocco I saw one in Vietnam
Thanks for clearing this up with me. I always wondered about it.