Carl's Jr. And Hardee's May Have A King's Hawaiian Menu On The Way
If you're wondering what the difference between Carl's Jr. and Hardee's is, the answer is not much. The brands fall under the same parent company, CKE, and have very similar menus (via Thrillist). One small difference is that the restaurants are marketed differently based on their location in the U.S. Since Carl's Jr. restaurants are predominantly located on the West Coast and Southwest, its marketing messaging and branding are aimed at a younger audience. Hardee's, on the other hand, is largely located in the Midwest and South, so its messaging "embraces Americana," per Thrillist.
Despite the brands having slightly different audiences, one thing their customers can probably agree on is loving King's Hawaiian rolls. According to Reader's Digest, the buttery, slightly sweet, fluffy rolls have quite a strong following, so we are not surprised that Carl's Jr. and Hardee's want to incorporate them into their menus. The brands are not the first fast food restaurant to use the sweet rolls (Firehouse Subs collaborated with King's Hawaiian in 2011), but the chains' sandwich-heavy menus will surely make for easy inclusion.
The King's Hawaiian menu is currently being tested in select locations
King's Hawaiian rolls are always a hit at Thanksgiving, so several fast food brands have used them in their menus over the years to spice up their sandwich game. 2019 was a popular year for this particular partnership, as Arby's, Subway, and Sonic made their sandwiches a bit sweeter that year. Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are a little late to the trend and are currently testing out a King's Hawaiian menu in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as Peoria, Illinois, and Charleston, South Carolina (per Chewboom).
Both brands are testing out a King's Hawaiian Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich and King's Hawaiian Breakfast Sandwich. The breakfast sandwich is essentially a bacon egg and cheese on a King's Hawaiian bun and the chicken sandwich is the same as the one already on the menu, just with a different bun (via Carl's Jr.'s official website).
The King's Hawaiian double cheeseburger will only be available at Carl's Jr. and features two charbroiled beef patties, Swiss cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and "Signature Classic Sauce." Also, the prices of these menu items slightly differ between the brands. The chicken sandwich and breakfast sandwich both cost more at Carl's Jr., by $1 and $0.50 respectively.