Kate Upton Helps Carl's Jr. Sell Their New Southwest Patty Melt

Just out this week, Carl's Jr. has begun offering their newest menu item, the Southwest Patty Melt.  The Southwest Patty Melt is now available at all Carl's Jr. and Hardee's locations and includes "a charbroiled beef patty, with sliced jalapeños, grilled onions, pepper-Jack cheese, and spicy Santa Fe sauce, all on grilled sourdough bread."

Additionally, following in the footsteps of Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Padma Lakshmi, Kate Upton is the newest pop-culture beauty to help the chain market their products. 

Glenn Cole, founding partner of the new creative agency by CKE Enterprises, owners of over 3200 Carl's Jr. and Hardee's locations, summed up their brand marketing this way, "While our competitors try to out-kid-meal each other, we're going to keep making noise and delivering young hungry guys what they want."

If you can't wait for the commercial to come out this weekend, Carl's Jr. has a behind the scenes look at the TV spot.

Finally, Carl's Jr. is offering a printable $1 off coupon for any size Southwest Patty Melt combo.

Carl's Jr. Tests Hardee's Made From Scratch Biscuits in Tucson

This press release from Carl's Jr. went out at the beginning of the month, but it has just come to the AZFoodDude's attention that the folks of Tucson have been part of a test by Carl's Jr.  Carl's Jr. is offering Hardee's Made From Scratch Biscuits starting at $1.69, including:

...the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit, the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit and the Ham, Egg & Cheese Biscuit. Guests can order any biscuit in a combo with Hash Brown Nuggets and Coffee, Orange Juice or a soft drink starting at $2.99. For diners who can’t make up their minds, there is the aptly named Monster Biscuit, featuring egg, sausage, bacon, ham and two pieces of cheese between a fluffy buttermilk biscuit. A Southern favorite, Biscuit ’N’ Gravy is also offered, as is a sweet Strawberry Biscuit. Prices may vary by location. Biscuits are only available during breakfast hours.

Since Carl's Jr. is only in the testing phase of this roll out, no nutritional information is yet available on their website.  However, three of the six items are listed on the Hardee's menu:

Monster Biscuit - 640 calories, 44 grams of fat and 30 grams of protein
Bacon, Egg & Cheese - 400 calories, 25 grams of fat and 15 grams of protein
Biscuit 'N' Gravy - 410 calories, 23 grams of fat and 9 grams of protein

Carl's Jr. Opens Two New Valley Locations as Profits Rise

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's sales are up recently due in large part to a particular new item on the menu. The turkey burgers, introduced back in March by the parent company, CKE Restaurants Inc., have helped put Carl's Jr. in the black for the first time in nine quarters. According to the Los Angeles Times, CKE President Andy Pudzer stated:

...the turkey burger, developed in consultation with Men's Health magazine, was meant to be indulgent as well as more healthful. He credited it with nudging sales at Carl's Jr. into positive territory. He said the Hardee's locations are doing better, overall, than the Carl's Jr. outlets because they are in parts of the country that are having a stronger economic recovery than California, where Carl's Jr. is heavily concentrated.

In related local news, Carl's Jr. has opened up two new locations in the Phoenix area. One in Gilbert at 5378 S. Power Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85295 and one at 1015 N. Dobson Rd. Mesa, AZ 85201 in the Mesa Riverview Shopping Center.

Also, checkout the AZFoodDude's report on the new Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich at Carl's Jr.

New Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich at Carl's Jr.

Yesterday, coming off the heels of the successful release of their Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's announced their new Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich. According to the Carl's Jr. website, the sandwich, which comes in at 650 calories, 33 grams of fat and 33 grams of protein, is composed of:

A freshly prepared, premium, all-white meat chicken breast hand-dipped in buttermilk, lightly breaded and fried to a golden brown, then topped with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a seeded bun.

If you like saving a little bit, Carl's Jr. has a $1 off printable coupon for the new sandwich.

Also, the chain has released an ad to roll out the new menu item: