FOOD NEWS
The Reason Why Hardee's And Carl's Jr. Are So Similar
By Jennifer Amos
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's started as two completely separate businesses on opposite sides of the country, with Hardee's dominating the South and Midwest of the United States, while Carl's Jr. was preoccupied with the West. Over time, their customers began to notice the two fast-food entities were strikingly similar to one another, and here is the reason why.
In 1963, the founder of Hardee's lost his majority stake in the company to two of his investors during a poker game. The company would grow to 2,500 locations in the ‘90s, and in 1997, Hardee's was purchased for $327 million by competitor CKE, the parent company of Carl's Jr.
It only makes sense that the company would rebrand Hardee's to appear similar to Carl's Jr., and the two have continued to make their mark on the fast food industry. Carl’s Jr. gained more breakfast options, Hardee’s got more lunch and dinner choices, and today, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have around 3,800 restaurants spanning 44 U.S. states and 43 other countries worldwide.