Introduced: May 2021

Distribution: National

Suggested Retail Price: $3.99-$4.49

Product Snapshot: Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are introducing their brand-new Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich platform, reimagining their famous Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders into new craveable builds available to fans nationwide morning, noon and night. Known for their impossible-to-ignore flavors and high-quality food innovations—from the first-ever 4/20 CBD burger at Carl's Jr. to the early introduction of Beyond Meat—they are no strangers to Hand-Breaded Chicken since launching their tenders more than a decade ago, with over 118 million sold per year on average.

With a crispy exterior and savory, complex interior, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Hand-Breaded Chicken sandwiches are brought to life at each location, with 100 percent premium white meat breast filet that is marinated in 13 signature seasonings and dipped in buttermilk before going through a 6-step hand-breading process in Southern-style flour and then cooked until golden brown. The all-new sandwich platform includes the Hand-Breaded Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich available at both Hardee's and Carl's Jr., along with the Hand-Breaded Chicken Biscuit at Hardee's. Pick your player:

• Hand-Breaded Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich: A new play on a familiar favorite. Served between belgian waffle buns, this tender, juicy, all white meat chicken hand-breaded and fried to crispy golden-brown perfection is topped with Maple Butter Glaze.
• Hardee's Hand-Breaded Chicken Biscuit: Can't forget the biscuits! The classic tender, juicy, all white meat chicken is hand-breaded and fried to crispy golden-brown perfection, served on a Hardee's Made from Scratch buttermilk biscuit.

"Carl's Jr. and Hardee's new Hand-Breaded Chicken sandwiches have been hard to keep a secret while we have been perfecting the formula over the last couple of years," said Owen Klein, vice president of global culinary innovation at CKE Restaurants. "We're hand-breading around the clock to deliver the flavor profiles that are truly craveable and will be something people will want—and can get—all day long."

The launch on May 17 will be complemented with a 360-degree marketing campaign including custom content on OnlyFans, marking Carl's Jr. and Hardee's as the first-ever national Quick Service Restaurant to join the emerging platform. The channel, Hot & Hand-Breaded, feature exclusive, tongue-and-cheek content leaning into the trending autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and Mukbang culture, along with a partnership with VICE's MUNCHIES, the first verified major food publisher on the platform, kicking off on May 24, to bolster content across digital channels.

"We're not the first to enter 'The Chicken Wars,' but CKE is definitely making a splash in a way no other brand in this space has before," said SVP of Marketing, CKE Restaurants, Patty Trevino. "Most brands would probably blush at the thought of launching an OnlyFans channel, but we see it as a massive opportunity to reach our audience on a new, emerging platform and make our food the star. Our customers have been begging us to bring our delicious Hand-Breaded Chicken into a sandwich, and it thrills me to be able to bring this to life with three mouth-watering options."

The Hand-Breaded Chicken & Waffle Breakfast Sandwich will retail for $4.49, and the Hand-Breaded Chicken Biscuit, available at Hardee's only, will retail for $3.99.