Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

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Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Alpha8472 »

The two restaurants are testing a 4 for $6 Menu.

https://www.brandeating.com/2022/08/car ... -menu.html
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Bagels »

Also available nationwide as a coupon through the app. Although it’s a coupon option, the cheeseburger isn’t sold outside a kids meal in SoCal.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: August 21st, 2022, 10:52 am Also available nationwide as a coupon through the app. Although it’s a coupon option, the cheeseburger isn’t sold outside a kids meal in SoCal.
Their app seems to be messed up about what items are available at what locations. The POS system they use at the corporate sites and some franchise sites is terrible. The NCR system a number of other franchisees use seems to work a lot better for online ordering (corporate sites used to use that, that was three POS softwares ago). Jack, Panda, Panera, and Taco Bell also use that NCR system.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Bagels »

storewanderer wrote: August 21st, 2022, 1:20 pm
Bagels wrote: August 21st, 2022, 10:52 am Also available nationwide as a coupon through the app. Although it’s a coupon option, the cheeseburger isn’t sold outside a kids meal in SoCal.
Their app seems to be messed up about what items are available at what locations. The POS system they use at the corporate sites and some franchise sites is terrible. The NCR system a number of other franchisees use seems to work a lot better for online ordering (corporate sites used to use that, that was three POS softwares ago). Jack, Panda, Panera, and Taco Bell also use that NCR system.
It seems synchronization between the app and stores has improved dramatically since it was first launched.

For years, the Big Hamburger was the smallest offering at Carl's Jr. Cheeseburgers were available as part of a kids' meal, and double cheeseburgers were introduced ~5 years ago with the All Star Meals, but neither was sold individually but double cheeseburgers were added to the menu after the All Star promotion ended.

The Big Hamburger was their best deal for many years. It was sold regularly for $1-$2 during the 2010s (sometimes with ketchup), and most locations used the same patty as the Famous Star, so if you added on the right toppings, you could replicate it for several dollars less. Sadly, one person owns most of the locations near me, and the Big Hamburger is now over $5. Famous Star is almost $8, but local BK and McD's are over $8 for a Whopper and Big Mac.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: August 22nd, 2022, 5:04 pm
It seems synchronization between the app and stores has improved dramatically since it was first launched.

For years, the Big Hamburger was the smallest offering at Carl's Jr. Cheeseburgers were available as part of a kids' meal, and double cheeseburgers were introduced ~5 years ago with the All Star Meals, but neither was sold individually but double cheeseburgers were added to the menu after the All Star promotion ended.

The Big Hamburger was their best deal for many years. It was sold regularly for $1-$2 during the 2010s (sometimes with ketchup), and most locations used the same patty as the Famous Star, so if you added on the right toppings, you could replicate it for several dollars less. Sadly, one person owns most of the locations near me, and the Big Hamburger is now over $5. Famous Star is almost $8, but local BK and McD's are over $8 for a Whopper and Big Mac.
There was a brief period years ago where the kid meal also contained the big burger patty and they discontinued the small patty entirely. That didn't last long. They have always had a button for the jr. hamburger or jr. cheeseburger, whether or not the employees would use it is a different topic entirely, but the button has been there.

The Big Burger is up to 3.99 in Reno. Actually last time I was in Carls, someone in the drive through ordered Famous Star Ketchup Only (6.19), and the ~16 year old employee said "I will make that the Big Burger Ketchup Only, it is the same thing, and it is 3.99." Always great to see employees that know the products and are helping the customer out, especially younger ones like that.

Have not seen a Big Mac above 6.39 in Sacramento/Reno. Larger Reno franchisee still at 5.19, lowest in the area. Product is not worth 5.19 let alone 6.39.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Romr123 »

Back in my mystery shopping days we would always give the "suggestive sell" credit to a server that recognized that what you were ordering was a combo/promotion/better deal rung another way.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Bagels »

storewanderer wrote: August 22nd, 2022, 9:58 pm
Bagels wrote: August 22nd, 2022, 5:04 pm
It seems synchronization between the app and stores has improved dramatically since it was first launched.

For years, the Big Hamburger was the smallest offering at Carl's Jr. Cheeseburgers were available as part of a kids' meal, and double cheeseburgers were introduced ~5 years ago with the All Star Meals, but neither was sold individually but double cheeseburgers were added to the menu after the All Star promotion ended.

The Big Hamburger was their best deal for many years. It was sold regularly for $1-$2 during the 2010s (sometimes with ketchup), and most locations used the same patty as the Famous Star, so if you added on the right toppings, you could replicate it for several dollars less. Sadly, one person owns most of the locations near me, and the Big Hamburger is now over $5. Famous Star is almost $8, but local BK and McD's are over $8 for a Whopper and Big Mac.
There was a brief period years ago where the kid meal also contained the big burger patty and they discontinued the small patty entirely. That didn't last long. They have always had a button for the jr. hamburger or jr. cheeseburger, whether or not the employees would use it is a different topic entirely, but the button has been there.

The Big Burger is up to 3.99 in Reno. Actually last time I was in Carls, someone in the drive through ordered Famous Star Ketchup Only (6.19), and the ~16 year old employee said "I will make that the Big Burger Ketchup Only, it is the same thing, and it is 3.99." Always great to see employees that know the products and are helping the customer out, especially younger ones like that.

Have not seen a Big Mac above 6.39 in Sacramento/Reno. Larger Reno franchisee still at 5.19, lowest in the area. Product is not worth 5.19 let alone 6.39.

Good employee, but I doubt his boss (and store owner!) was to happy with him. The Big Hamburger offered probably the greatest savings of any fast food hack when turned into a Famous Star (you need to add lettuce and tomato, and swap the ketchup and mustard for special sauce + mayo) – literally a $3-$4 savings. Carl’s Jr. has gotten really, really expensive and I rarely go there especially given mediocre quality.

Several McD’s are over $8 for a Big Mac, but it’s on frequent promotion; when I last visited in May, it was 2 for $6. Probably a national promo and kinda ironic you can get two sandwiches for less than one’s menu pricing. Big Macs were $1 on Mondays, then $2, for much of the 2010s (into 2021, actually). And of course, BOGO / BOGO $1 are common on the app and on the receipt (survey). BK is similar with $8 Whoppers. The big steal IMO is JITB, which is $3.50 for a Jumbo Jack w/cheese at stores near me.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by storewanderer »

No 4 for $6 promotion via the app in Reno/Sacramento area Carls.

Also I notice the app still does not support the OK Carls locations for online ordering. Those used to be on the old corporate POS system (that NCR one), not sure what they may be using now.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Alpha8472 »

In the San Francisco Bay Area, I tried to use the app, but I did not get any coupons at all. Many of their restaurants do not even offer online ordering. Carl's Jr. really needs to fix these problem with the app.

Many people perceive Carl's Jr. as expensive, and they are right. The drive-thru line and the dining room at most Carl's Jr. restaurants in the Bay Area are empty. How do these places even survive? The 24 hour Carl's Jr. in San Ramon, California is always deserted. I thought it was abandoned, but there were employees inside. I do know of a Carl's Jr. in Antioch, California that was demolished a few years ago. It was right next to a gas station, so it did decent business. However, it apparently was not doing well enough to survive. I only went there to get their Fruit Loop Donuts or something from the Green Burrito menu. The Green Burrito menu probably does more sales than the expensive burger menu.
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Re: Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Testing 4 for $6 Menu

Post by Bagels »

The coupons are under 'rewards.' Then look for 'offers' on the right hand side, it's mixed in w/point categories (click on those for rewards that can be redeemed, click on offers for coupons.) The offers may have reset... most of the coupons have been the same month-to-month but I have a BOGO $1 Famous Star that wasn't there when I last looked.

I think you're right that their ordering system is archaic. From what I've read, it looked like the 4 for $6 was suppose to be a return of the All-Star Meals: with the 4/$6, you'd get a cookie & small beverage, your choice of "snack" entrée (cheeseburger, basic chicken sandwich or 6 piece chicken nugget) and a premium side (onion rings, Criss Cut or large fry). But probably because of ordering limitations, you can pick out any 4 of those items (so a burger, chicken sandwich and two onion rings, for example). This will likely kill off any hope of rolling it out nationally, as the cookie and drink were basically subsidizing the entrée and side.
Alpha8472 wrote: August 24th, 2022, 12:10 am In the San Francisco Bay Area, I tried to use the app, but I did not get any coupons at all. Many of their restaurants do not even offer online ordering. Carl's Jr. really needs to fix these problem with the app.

Many people perceive Carl's Jr. as expensive, and they are right. The drive-thru line and the dining room at most Carl's Jr. restaurants in the Bay Area are empty. How do these places even survive? The 24 hour Carl's Jr. in San Ramon, California is always deserted. I thought it was abandoned, but there were employees inside. I do know of a Carl's Jr. in Antioch, California that was demolished a few years ago. It was right next to a gas station, so it did decent business. However, it apparently was not doing well enough to survive. I only went there to get their Fruit Loop Donuts or something from the Green Burrito menu. The Green Burrito menu probably does more sales than the expensive burger menu.
Carl's Jr. is expensive. Pricing varies by location obviously, but a few franchisees own the bulk of restaurants in and around SoCal. By me, the cheapest combo is now over $10 -- your choice of a Big Hamburger or a Double Cheeseburger. Criss Cut fries and onion rings are now $4.69. A basic Spicy Chicken Sandwich is $4.49. Promotions are rare (some individual stores run their own) and there's just no value.
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