While
other fast food chains bend to the wishes of weight watchers and
more health-conscious consumers ... Hardees has totally gone in
the other direction..
Their
strategy?
Fill
the niche left by their larger competitors by offering retro Monster
Thickburgers and other calorie-laden fast food appealing to those
who care more about taste, and less about their weight.
Add
sexy commercials to the mix that depict hot models chowing
down on their offerings, and Hardee's may also have hit upon the
ingredients necessary to attract another important key demographic
extraordinarily hungry teenage boys.
Hardee's "Feed Your Happy" Campaign
Hardee's
history
Opened
during the Golden Age of fast food in competition with fledgling
McDonald's and Burger King, Wilber Hardee opened the first Hardee's
restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina, in 1960.
Offering
a simple menu of burgers, shakes, and fries, they opened their
first franchise within the year. Soon
Hardee's hit upon a winning formula combining the flavor of southern
barbecue in their famous "charco-broiled" Big Twin and
Husky burgers with unique tangy flavors added to their special
sauces.
Hardee's
was off and running into the 70's with their first international
franchises opening in such far-flung locations as West Germany
and Australia.
Nothing
if not competitive, the company began adding Arbys-style roast
beef sandwiches and southern fried chicken to its menu, to immediately
answer other fast food outlets luring attention away from Hardee's.
However,
from the 80's onward Hardee's began losing its way. In a series
of buy-outs, an eventual merger with the Carl's Jr chain, and
other distractions (including a change to their signature burger
recipe and dropping "charco-broiled") the company only
regained its footing with the introduction of the Monster Thickburger
introduced in 2001.
As
nutritionists gasped, and comedians poked fun at the 1,410 calorie
double-bacon cheeseburger with mayonnaise (containing 107 grams
of fat, and 2740 mg of sodium) the Monster Thickburger not only
signaled Hardee's return to its roots, but the triumphant return
of char-broiled fast food as a forbidden pleasure.
It
was "not a burger for tree huggers" explained Hardee's
CEO Andrew Puzder and, with that, the company launched a national
campaign to attract a key demographic - teenage boys - with a
series of advertising campaigns featuring hot babes, cars and
hamburgers.
Today,
Hardee's continues to 'go retro' with its 1/3 b, 1/2 lb and 2/3
lb burger offerings with much success
and, along with its sibling restaurant chain Carl's Jr., remains
the No. 4 U.S. fast-food restaurant burger chain after McDonald's,
Burger
King and Wendy's.
Sandwiches:
BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich, Big Hot Ham
'N' Cheese Sandwich, Big Roast Beef Sandwich, Charbroiled Chicken
Club Sandwich, Hot Dog, Hot Ham 'N' Cheese Sandwich, Low Carb
Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich, Regular Roast Beef Sandwich,
Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Fries with that?
Cole slaw, Crispy Curls, Natural Cut french fries, mashed potatoes,
side salads
Breakfast:
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, Big Country Breakfast Platter,
Biscuits 'N' Gravy, Breaded Pork Chop Biscuit, Chicken Fillet
Biscuit, Cinnamon 'N' Raisin Biscuit, Country Ham Biscuit, Country
Steak Biscuit, Frisco Breakfast Sandwich, Ham, Egg & Cheese
Biscuit, Hash Rounds, Loaded Biscuit 'N' Gravy Breakfast Bowl,
Loaded Breakfast Burrito, Loaded Omelet Biscuit, Low Carb Breakfast
Bowl, Monster Biscuit, Pancakes, Sausage Biscuit, Sausage and
Egg Biscuit, Sunrise Croissant with Ham
Desserts:
Apple turnover, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookie, hand-scooped
malt, hand-scooped shake, peach cobbler, single scoop ice cream
bowl, single scoop ice cream cone
More about Hardee's around the Web:
Hardees.com-
The official site with information on the latest promotions and
printable coupons, company information, menu and nutrition information,
restaurant locator, employment listings.
Hardee's
- Wikipedia - A complete and detailed history including
notable menu items and nutrition facts, related controversies,
photos and resources.