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 deliciousness 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.   

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Favorite childhood sandwich gets a remake, Carl’s Jr. style

CARPINTERIA, Calif. - January 27, 2010 - Carl’s Jr.^® has created the ultimate comfort food, Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers™. Starting today, fans of the cheesy, gooey comfort food can try one of the new Carl’s Jr. Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers, which features all the comfort and deliciousness of the grilled cheese sandwich mom used to make, with the addition of a delicious charbroiled burger and bacon.

“The origin of the new Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers is actually kind of a funny story,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing at CKE Restaurants. “We were initially working on menu items we could offer for our vegetarian customers and made a really good grilled cheese sandwich.  But, being Carl’s Jr., a chain known for its decadent burgers, someone suggested that we try it with a charbroiled burger patty and bacon for our carnivorous customers and the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers were born.  With four slices of melted American and Swiss cheeses on grilled sourdough bread, it really delivers on the idea of a grilled cheese sandwich combined with a bacon cheeseburger.  It’s delicious … and we’ll still make a really good grilled cheese sandwich for our vegetarian customers if they want one.”

The Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers are available at Carl’s Jr. as a single burger, double burger or Six Dollar Burger^™ version, and sell for $2.49, $3.49 and $4.49, respectively. Prices may vary.

The new burger will be promoted through clever ads created by Los Angeles-based advertising agency Mendelsohn|Zien, the firm behind many iconic ads for Carl’s Jr. and sister chain Hardee’s^®. Stay tuned to the Carl’s Jr. Web site, social media pages (www.facebook.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/carlsjr) and Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/carlsjr) for details on the upcoming ad campaign.

About Carl’s Jr.

Carl’s Jr. is celebrating more than 65 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today an international organization that employs nearly 30,000 people worldwide. Carl’s Jr. 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 Carl’s Jr. near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.carlsjr.com. Carl’s Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr, www.twitter.com/carlsjr, and www.youtube.com/carlsjr.

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CARPINTERIA, California - January 12, 2010 - CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) today announced two franchise agreements that will bring an additional 31 Carl’s Jr.^® restaurants to Texas over the next nine years. Frontera Star Foods has committed to opening 20 units in the Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen, and Harlingen areas in Southeast Texas. The second franchisee, Burger Barons, has agreed to open 11 units throughout the Waco, Killeen, Temple, College Station and Bryan, Texas communities. Both franchisees are new members of the Carl’s Jr. franchise community.

“Texas continues to be a priority for CKE’s expansion and we are proud to have two strong franchise entities join us in the Lone Star state,” said Andrew F. Puzder, CEO, CKE Restaurants, Inc. “As our unit count in Texas grows, so does the demand for our big, delicious burgers. In fact, the Nov. opening in Leon Valley, TX, was the highest grossing first week in the history of the company. I hope we see that record change hands a few more times this year.”

Carl’s Jr. has seen significant expansion in Texas over the past year for both the franchise community and the Company. There are currently 34 Carl’s Jr. restaurants open in Texas (27 franchised, 7 company-owned), with an additional 352 units (252 franchise, 100 company) planned over the coming decade. On average, a new Carl’s Jr. restaurant employs 70 full- and part-time crew members, translating to more than 24,000 new jobs.

Based in Tampico, Mexico, Frontera Star Foods is owned by Juan Alvarado, Juan Garza and Gonzalo Ruiz. They bring a background in construction and retail development.

Burger Barons, based in Austin, Texas, is owned by Monica and Mark von Waaden and Keith Isbell. They are current franchisees of 10 Panera Bread restaurants in Houston.

“Burger Barons is proud to be joining the Carl's Jr. brand,” said Mark von Waaden. “We feel their legacy of great burgers will resonate well with the great State of Texas.”

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. 

Public Can’t Get Enough of Popular Celebrity, Both Online and Off

CARPINTERIA, California - January 11, 2010 - Carl’s Jr.^® knew that partnering with Kim Kardashian to promote its new line of Grilled Chicken Salads would help raise awareness for the delicious, sit-down restaurant quality creations, but they were thrilled at how much buzz the young celebrity could generate. Through Jan. 8, interest in Kim Kardashian’s salad commercial has received unparalleled press coverage, garnering 258 million media impressions (potential viewers/readers), more than three times the quantity achieved by any one of the chain’s previous celebrity commercial stars and, amazingly, more than all of them combined.

Media coverage has ranged from People magazine and The Jay Leno Show, to CNBC’s FastMoney and USA Today. There has been an additional 1.8 million views on YouTube for the :30 commercial and a combined 2.1 million views for all of the other salad- and Kim-related videos.

So, it’s no surprise that Carl’s Jr. has lined up a host of additional activities to make the most of Kardashian’s immense popularity in both the offline and online realms. This Wednesday, Jan. 13, Kim will be hosting a live streaming lunch date on the Carl’s Jr. Facebook page (www.facebook.com/carlsjr) at Noon PST and everyone is invited. Fans who buy a salad in advance will receive a special code to unlock additional access to the virtual lunch date, allowing them to interact and ask questions with Kim in chat format. Kim’s invitation to the event can be viewed in virtual 3-D under the “Salads Are Hot” tab on the Carl’s Jr. Facebook page.  

 “Kim Kardashian has been an absolute joy to work with and her genuine charm, charisma, beauty and brains have endeared her to a huge base of fans,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl’s Jr. “Because of Kim’s immense popularity, her commercial is not only a hit on television, its a hit in the digital space as well. And, the result is that the new salads, particularly Kim’s favorite the Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad, have been selling at record pace. As the commercial says, ‘Who says salads can’t be hot?’”

“This has been a terrific partnership,” said Kim Kardashian. “The commercial was fun to shoot, the salad is delicious and I’m thrilled so many fans are enjoying both. I hope they all join me for the Ultimate Salad Lunch Date on Wednesday, too.”

Carl’s Jr. Facebook fans will also be able to see the exclusive “too-hot for TV” director’s cut of the commercial beginning today at 11 a.m. PST. The Carl’s Jr. Facebook page will be the only place to view the :45 internet-only ad for the first 24 hours.

About Carl’s Jr.

Carl’s Jr. is celebrating more than 65 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today an international organization that employs nearly 30,000 people worldwide. Carl’s Jr. 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 Carl’s Jr. near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.carlsjr.com. Carl’s Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr, www.twitter.com/carlsjr, and www.youtube.com/carlsjr.

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CARL’S JR. CONTINUES TRADITION OF HONORING Founders

by OFFERING $60,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS

Applications Now Available Online for 11^th-Annual Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’

Scholarship Program

CARPINTERIA, Calif. – January 4, 2010 – Carl’s Jr.^® is pleased to announce that applications for the 2010 Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship are now available online at www.carlsjr.com/promotions. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2010.

As a young married couple in 1941, Carl N. and Margaret Karcher started their company believing that they could earn success through their commitment to faith, service and hard work.  More than 65 years later, Carl’s Jr. is proud to continue their commitment to the community by offering 60 hard-working high school students a $1,000 scholarship to the two- or four-year college or vocational school of their choice.

Scholarship winners will be selected based on their academic record, school and community leadership and participation, work experience and future goals. Financial need and other family circumstances will also be considered. In economic tough times, scholarship programs like this are extremely valuable to the community. Giving back to hard working students in need is part of the core values of Carl’s Jr.

Applicants for the Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship must be high school seniors or graduates, age 21 and younger, planning to enroll for the first time at an accredited two- or four-year college or vocational school. Applicants must be a resident of the states in which Carl’s Jr. operates restaurants: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, or Washington State.

For the past ten years, Carl’s Jr. has rewarded academic excellence in its locaI communities through ongoing scholarship award commitments.  Carl’s Jr. has granted $385,000 in scholarships since the inception of its program in 1999.

More information about the Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship application process and a downloadable application are available only at the Carl’s Jr. Web site: www.carlsjr.com/promotions.

The Carl N. and Margaret Karcher Founders’ Scholarship is administered by Scholarship Management Services^®, a division of Scholarship America^®. Scholarship Management Services is the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Employees, affiliates and franchisees of Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., Scholarship America, affiliated agencies, and their immediate families are not eligible to receive a scholarship pursuant to this program.

Carl’s Jr. is celebrating more than 65 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today an international organization that employs nearly 30,000 people worldwide. Carl’s Jr. 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 Carl’s Jr. near you, go to www.ckr.com or www.carlsjr.com. Carl’s Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr, www.twitter.com/carlsjr, and www.youtube.com/carlsjr.

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