Posted on 06/28/2006 9:35:51 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(AP) ST. LOUIS -- In the past few months, McDonald's Corp. announced it would push healthy meals like salads while Wendy's International Inc. said it would fry foods in a healthier oil with less trans fats. And CKE Restaurants Inc.? The operator of Hardee's and Carl's Jr. unveiled a jumbo-sized cheeseburger smothered in sliced steak.
"I think the health craze is happening mostly among journalists," said Andrew Puzder, CKE's president and chief executive.
A lean man with an athletic build, Puzder laid out CKE's decidedly un-health-conscious business strategy during the company's annual shareholders meeting Tuesday in St. Louis.
The key strategy is simple: give people what they want, not what they think is good for them.
"The way people like to think they eat, and the way they actually eat is usually very different," Puzder said.
He pointed out that CKE puts salads and low-carb burgers on its menus. "We sell very few of them," he said.
CKE's strategy has worked well for shareholders this year, with its stock rising 20 percent so far in 2006. Shares closed at $16.21 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Puzder said the growth is especially strong considering CKE's position. The company has been revamping its chain of nearly 2,000 Hardee's restaurants that Puzder called dirty, poorly run and dogged by bad customer service for years.
Hardee's turnaround has pivoted on the Thickburger, Puzder said. CKE knocked 40 items off the menu and centered its offerings around the Monster Thickburger, with its 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat.
But the beef-at-all-costs strategy carries a risk. Puzder conceded the company's national television ads have garnered some complaints. The ads show customers — mostly young men — biting into huge burgers with an amplified crunch.
McDonald's and other companies have highlighted their healthier options in anticipation of this summer's release of "Chew On This," a book aimed at teenagers that is co-authored by Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation."
Early reports about the book say it holds fast-food companies responsible for the nation's childhood-obesity epidemic. A movie version of "Fast Food Nation" is scheduled for release this fall.
Perhaps more alarming for shareholders is the specter of lawsuits pinning the blame for obesity on fast food chains. Such cases have been filed against McDonald's, with most courts dismissing obesity claims. A federal court in New York reinstated part of an obesity case last year after it was dismissed twice by lower courts.
Puzder said CKE should be safe from such litigation for two reasons. First, it doesn't hide health information about its products. Fat and calorie figures are readily available so customers know exactly what they are eating. Second, the company doesn't market to kids, but focuses on young adults.
"As a former trial attorney myself — no, I'm not worried," he said.
Shareholder David Skroup said he's confident in the company's plan to boost revenue and locations worldwide. A retired Air Force pilot who lives in Belleville, Ill., Skroup said he's pleased with CKE's decision to sell big burgers regardless of health-food fads.
"They know what they're doing," Skroup said. "It hasn't knocked the price down and it's increased the number of restaurants."
I guess the racy ads didn't hurt either.
Heart attack on a bun. No thank you. I like my 6 pack.
Some beer sounds good right around now to go with that burger.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Paris Hilton could stand to eat a couple of those. So could Ann Coulter. I'm a big guy, and used to be a darn big eater, and I looooves me some bacon cheeseburgers. But I couldn't finish that.
And while I haven't been in a Hardee's for years, the ones I used to frequent *were* nasty, dirty, and the food wasn't very good. The only good stuff they had were their breakfast biscuits. I gave the burgers a very wide berth. They've really turned it around since then.
}:-)4
Ay Carumba!
I don't understand why Hardee's doesn't put more of the Carl's Jr. lineup on their menu. I've been craving a Santa Fe Chicken sandwich ever since moving from the left coast ten yrs ago.
CC&E
Bears repeating.
Mr Puzder probably has a rightward tilt to his politics. I wonder if he's a FReeper or lurker?
Hi Andy!
That being said, I only eat a Hardee's/Carl's Jr meal once every 2 months. I rarely eat a fast food meal 1x/2weeks.
The Flying J truck stop in Des Moines has 'em all beat. Their menu included a burger with a 1/4 beef patty, topped by a suasage patty, topped by a ham steak and topped by bacon. Unfortunatley, I was on the way to catch a plane and didn't think eating it would have been the best idea at the time.
Yeah, we women are always on our hands and knees when we eat our burgers! Lol! Those stupid commercials are geared toward men because women are more health conscious. You'd never catch me trying to stuff a burger that size in MY face! When I do eat at fast food (which is rare) It's usually a chicken or fish burger - a very small one!
Of course it was not just the new menu, they cleaned up the restaurants, completely changed or retrained the staffs, etc. etc.
I would have never been caught dead in a Hardees a few years ago, now I cannot remember the last time I stopped at a McD's. BK or Wendy's.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Those burgers look a tad too big for me. But I'm sure that I'm not part of the Carl Jr. demographic.
When they ran those ads with the sauce slopping out of burgers, I knew I'd never buy one. The last thing I need is a bunch of burger goo all over my shoes.
Darn you - all I had for lunch was an 88 cent banquet nuke dinner, and you go and give me a picture of this???
I know what I'm going to do on the way home...
Does anyone know if the Big Boy chain is still operating anywhere? In the late 50s-early 60s it was "Kip's Big Boy" in Dallas, and "Bob's Big Boy" in southern California. They served the best burgers ever made by human hands, IMHO. Had a great all-day menu too. There were times back then that I ate 3 meals in one day at Kip's. I have no idea why such a great operation couldn't continue.
I usually don't eat the burgers that much exceot for the mushroom and swiss which is pretty good. My favs are the chicken breast sandwich (must add cheese!) and the ham and cheese sandwich. They're the best.
They put something in that ham and cheese that makes me crave it fortnightly!!!
HOwever, BIG BOY himself lives thatnks to Rick and Bubba. Check out BIG BOY at his new home on BIG BOY BLUFF in Birmingham, AL
We used to go to Hardees a lot when I was little, but the store closed. I have hardly even seen a Hardees in the past few years. They are extremely rare.
My fav is Wendy's. But, maybe I will have to go back to try Hardee's again, if I can find one.
Geez, I'd have to eat a dozen bowls of Bran Buds to push that through.
We still have Big Boys in the Detroit area. The chain here used to be owned by Elians Brothers - but I believe they are independently owned now. They still have the original double decker Big Boy and my favorite - the Slim Jim, which no other restaurant has been able to duplicate. A Slim Jim Combo with a Vernors is an old Detroit favorite.
Thanks for the link. Big Boy was a monument to obesity in his day, wasn't he? We didn't worry much about it.
Hardee's also still has the best breakfast biscuits. I literally had to go into detox to stop eating breakfast there every morning. I had to trade my sausage,egg, and cheese biscuits in for Slim Fast...LOL
Thanks - now I have to stop at Big Boy after work!
Well, you started it!
Only I'm still going to have to wait a couple of weeks before I'm in Michigan and able to stop at a Big Boy.
Well, who goes to Hardee's/Carl's Jr. to eat food like that?!? LOL! People who want health-conscious food aren't going to go there in the first place. The only ones they sell are to guilt-wracked mothers, while Dad and the kids are devouring Thickburgers. ;)
Alas, Carl's Jr doesn't offer the Thickburger out West!
Excess weight looks less flattering on a woman than on a man.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There sure are a lot of young women around who don't seem to agree with you!!! I work with one who is about twenty five pounds over and she seems to think she is too thin!!
Wearing practically nothing too, I see. Is that to keep from getting mustard on your clothes?
bump
You ARE?
Will you marry me?
Bet she wears crop tops that show her biscuit-can flab!
OMG a Flying J truck stop is currently under construction in Brookshire!
You are kidding! What are the odds that THE supreme pigburger will be available minutes from you?
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