Popularity of Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers at Carl’s Jr.

Leads to Introduction at Hardee’s

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – February 22, 2010 – Everyone could use a little more comfort these days. And just like when mom used to make her delicious grilled cheese sandwiches to ease your childhood setbacks, Carl’s Jr.^® and Hardee’s^® are offering some comfort food for grown-ups. Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers, launched at Carl’s Jr. in late January, feature all of the taste and comfort of those youthful grilled cheese sandwiches, but with the addition of a delicious charbroiled burger and bacon. This combination of two all-American classics has resonated so well with guests in Carl’s Jr. markets, that the Grilled Cheese Bacon Thickburger^® is being introduced into sister-chain Hardee’s markets beginning today.

“The Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers evolved from our efforts to make a really good grilled cheese sandwich for our vegetarian customers,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing at CKE Restaurants. “Being known for our decadent burgers, we just had to see how it tasted with a charbroiled burger and bacon on it, and the result was really, really yummy.   With all the dismal economic news today, it may be that this combination of two classic, all-American comfort foods just seems to hit the spot right now.”

“The Comfort Place”

To extend the comforting goodness of the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers, both Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. are embarking on a digital campaign to provide even more solace to their customers, especially their core fans of “Young, Hungry guys.” Because guys need comfort, too, starting today, visitors to the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Facebook pages can visit the new interactive application designed to provide a bit of comfort when they need it the most.

Fans can choose to comfort themselves or a friend when activating “The Comfort Place,” an application which will post comforting messages to the designated Facebook wall for a 24-hour period. Comfort comes in the form of cheesy songs (“Love Sandwich”), words of wisdom and motivational pep talks (“You smell incredible right now. Just incredible.”), audio sound bytes (sounds of bacon sizzling), soothing photos (frolicking kittens) and humorous videos (levitating “Burguru”). Users can also invite friends to gather at their local Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s for a Comfort Session where they can take full advantage of their access to exclusive rewards and discounts on the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers.   

Comfort Sweepstakes

Additionally, today also launches a 5-week sweepstakes on each brand’s respective Facebook page. Each page will give away two (2) Comfort Packages a week, ending on March 26^th. The Comfort Package consists of a Happy Star™ branded Slanket^®, comfortable slippers, a universal remote, a Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s gift card and a shiatsu electronic massager. One entry per fan. Contest rules are available on the Sweepstakes tab at www.facebook.com/carlsjr and www.facebook.com/hardees.

“The ‘Comfort Place’ Facebook application and sweepstakes are another way we are reaching out to our customers online,” said Brad Rosenberg, Manager of Digital Strategy and Marketing at CKE Restaurants. ”We don’t want to just broadcast messages. We aim to interact, provide fun, sharable content, and offer our fans exclusive deals and sweepstakes that they won’t find anywhere else.”

The Grilled Cheese Bacon Thickburgers feature a charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef patty, crispy bacon and four slices of melted American and Swiss cheeses on grilled sourdough bread. It is available at Hardee’s in Little Thickburger, Original Thickburger, or Six Dollar Thickburger sizes, with a starting price of $2.79. Prices may vary by location.

Commercials supporting the Grilled Cheese Bacon Thickburger will begin airing in Hardee’s markets on March 1. The entertaining ads were created by Los Angeles-based advertising agency, Mendelsohn|Zien, the agency behind many iconic ads for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. They can be viewed on both brands’ YouTube channels (www.youtube.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/hardees). Fans can also access the chains’ sometimes-cheesy status updates via Twitter at www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.twitter.com/hardees.

About CKE Restaurants, Inc.

Headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif., CKE Restaurants, Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CKR.” As of the end of its fiscal 2010 third quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,147 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,221 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,913 Hardee's restaurants. For more information about CKE Restaurants, please visit www.ckr.com.   

###

Customers can now get their fill with a Double Sausage Egg ‘N’ Cheese Biscuit

ST. LOUIS – January 26, 2009 – A new sausage biscuit from Hardee’s® has people seeing double. The Double Sausage, Egg ‘N’ Cheese Biscuit joins Hardee’s expansive breakfast menu and offers customers another hearty item to rid their morning hunger.

“Our Sausage and Egg Biscuit has been a staple item on the breakfast menu for years,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. “The only way to improve a classic was to make it twice as meaty, and therefore, twice as delicious. It won’t take two of these to fill you up in the morning.”

The Double Sausage, Egg ‘N’ Cheese Biscuit consists of folded egg, two sausage patties and two slices of American cheese packed in between a freshly-baked Made from Scratch™ buttermilk biscuit.

The Double Sausage, Egg ‘N’ Cheese Biscuit is available at participating Hardee’s restaurants for $2.39 or in a small combo for $4.09, including crispy Hash Rounds™ and a beverage. Prices may vary by location.

About Hardee’s 

Celebrating 50 years in the quick-service industry, Hardee’s Food Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of its fiscal 2010 third quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,147 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,221 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,913 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Hardee’s near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.hardees.com. Hardee’s social media sites include www.facebook.com/hardees, www.twitter.com/hardees and www.youtube.com/hardees. 

###

Limited Time Item Features Made-From-Scratch Biscuit Covered In Warm Blueberry Topping With Drizzled Icing On Top

ST. LOUIS – December 21, 2009 – Baby, it’s getting cold outside; warm up this winter with Hardee’s® newest limited time offering – Blueberry Biscuits. A customer favorite, the Blueberry Biscuits are sure to please the early morning sweet tooth. Blueberry Biscuits are made by taking a freshly-baked Made from Scratch™ buttermilk Biscuit, covering it in a warm blueberry topping, and then drizzling it with icing. 

“Our famous Made from-Scratch Biscuits have been helping fast-food customers wake up with a hot and delicious breakfast for over a quarter of a century,” said Brad Haley, Hardee’s executive vice president of marketing. “But they’re not just great with eggs and bacon, they also make amazing sweet treats in the morning, so we’re pleased to be able to bring back the popular Blueberry Biscuits just in time for holidays.”

The Blueberry Biscuit will be sold at participating Hardee’s restaurants in packages of one, two or six for $.99, $1.59 or $3.59, respectively.  Prices may vary.

About Hardee’s

Celebrating more than 45 years in the quick-service industry, Hardee’s Food Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of its fiscal 2010 third quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,147 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,221 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,913 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Hardee’s near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.hardees.com. Hardee’s social media sites include www.facebook.com/hardees, www.twitter.com/hardees and www.youtube.com/hardees. 

###

ST. LOUIS - December 17, 2009 - Hardee’s^® is used to getting attention for their delicious food, but recently took top honors for one of their commercials. The Hardee’s Biscuit Holes ad, titled “A vs. B,” garnered the top spot on the TBS special “Funniest Commercials of the Year.”

The “A vs. B” spot was created by Los Angeles-based advertising agency Mendelsohn|Zien, Hardee’s longtime agency of record.

TBS producers selected the ad as one of the top 10 finalists, and then asked viewers to vote for their favorite at www.veryfunnyads.com. The commercial resonated with fans that rallied behind the ad to vote it into the number one position.

The TBS segment is currently the featured video on the Hardee’s YouTube channel. While at the Hardee’s YouTube channel, fans can select the “Biscuit Holes Ads” tab to see the original ad (“A vs. B”), along with several other hilarious Biscuit Holes commercials. The “A vs. B” commercial currently has over half a million views.

TBS originally aired “Funniest Commercials of the Year” on December 15, 2009 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings for repeat broadcasts.

About Hardee’s

Celebrating more than 45 years in the quick-service industry, Hardee’s Food Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of its fiscal 2010 third quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,147 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,221 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,913 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Hardee’s near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.hardees.com. Hardee’s social media sites include www.facebook.com/hardees, www.twitter.com/hardees and www.youtube.com/hardees. 

###

Portobello Mushroom Melt Thickburger Pairs Portobellos with the Classic Patty Melt  

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – November 23, 2009 – Fine dining and fast-food fare come together in the new Portobello Mushroom Melt Thickburger^® at Hardee’s^®. The chain put a new spin on the patty melt by adding sliced Portobello mushrooms sautéed in a rich garlic butter sauce to the mix. 

“Mushrooms on hamburgers have been a classic pairing for many years, and the patty melt has been a diner staple for even longer, “said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. “So, we knew we were on to something when we combined the two to create a new burger that was even yummier than either one alone. Portobello mushrooms are considered the steak of the mushroom world, so they were the ideal choice to top this delicious new 100% Black Angus beef Thickburger.”

The Portobello Mushroom Melt Thickburger features a third-pound of charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef, topped with Portobello mushrooms sautéed in a garlic-butter sauce, caramelized grilled onions and two slices of Swiss cheese, melted all together between toasted sourdough bread.

“Mushroom lovers can get their fix with the Portobello Mushroom Melt,” said Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “Portobello mushrooms are versatile, delicious and part of a nutritional diet, especially for young, hungry, fun guys. Or fungis…get it?”

The Portobello Mushroom Melt Thickburger will be sold at participating Hardee’s restaurants for $3.79 and is also available in a small combo for $5.79 including Natural Cut Fries and a beverage. Prices may vary by location.

A new commercial titled “Grandpa” will begin airing next week to support the Portobello Mushroom Melt Thickburger. In it a young, hungry guy shares a meal with his grandfather, who doesn’t think anything could possibly improve on a traditional patty melt. That is, until he tries the latest Hardee’s limited time offer. Subscribers to the Hardee’s YouTube channel will get a sneak peak of the latest ad. The commercial was created by longtime agency Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising of Los Angeles.

Hardee’s will also broadcast mushroom facts and tidbits so fans can learn more about the fun fungi and the new burger through their Facebook page and Twitter handle.    

About Hardee’s

Celebrating over 45 years in the quick-service industry, Hardee’s Food Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of its fiscal 2010 second quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,140 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,212 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,915 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Hardee’s near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.hardees.com. 

###