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Carl’s Jr. CEO: We won’t run ‘vanilla’ ads
April 10th, 2009, 4:56 am · 179 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
Last week, a Carl’s Jr. story logged nearly 100 comments from readers after I asked folks to weigh in about why sales were down at the fast-food chain.
Andrew Puzder, chief executive for Carl’s Jr.’s parent company CKE Restaurants, blamed the downturn on rivals selling cheaper, lower-quality food. And, boy, did you take issue with that.
A majority of readers said they stopped going to Carl’s Jr. because the new natural-cut fries are a disaster; the commercials are too disgusting and sleazy; and the overall appearance and food-quality at Carl’s Jr. has slid dramatically.
With opinions so overwhelmingly negative against Carl’s Jr., I asked Puzder to respond. Earlier this week, he gave me a generous amount of phone time to go over the major complaints.
Here’s what he had to say:
Natural Cut Fries: Everyone Hates Them
He said the chain has “gotten some complaints” about them, but for the most part, Carl’s Jr. has logged “overwhelmingly positive” responses from customers about the new fries.
“I’m sorry they (Maven readers) don’t like it.”
The chain switched to the natural-cut fries, because they are a higher-quality product that better complement Carl’s Jr.’s Six Dollar Angus burgers.
Why not serve both?
Not possible because it would lead to product inconsistency. Plus most customers didn’t like the old fries, he said.
Readers don’t buy that cheap food from rivals is hurting your business. Explain.
Some of this was probably taken out of context, he said. Carl’s Jr. stores that are hurting the most are in California, where consumers have been hit hard by the tanking real estate market and job losses. He says competitors in California are “essentially giving away food,” and Carl’s Jr. “can’t compete with that.”
So no big giveaways coming at Carl’s Jr.
“We are unwilling to diminish the quality of our food to do deep discounting.”
Email complaints to CEO Andy
Messy restaurants, poor customer service
Puzder was surprised to hear that readers said their complaints to stores and corporate went unanswered. So he kindly gave me his email and asked that anyone with a problem contact him directly: andypuzder@carlsjr.com.
“If I get a complaint, I guarantee that the G.M. will be notified and the head of operations.”
Still, he admitted “everyone isn’t perfect,” but Carl’s Jr. does pride itself in making sure service is good and that restaurants are clean.
Messy, Drippy, Sexy Ads: Sleazy or Savvy?
Top Chef Host Padma Lakshmi is the latest Carl's Jr./Hardee's babe.
Carl’s Jr. stands by the ad mission, which targets “young, hungry guys,” Puzder said. “We spend $60 million a year on ads,” while competitors spend more than $800 million.
“We can’t compete with those brands…with nicey, cutesy ads. When you see our ads, you see them once, and you remember it.”
So bottom line: ads are staying, and you don’t think they’re offensive?
“Nobody is trying to offend anyone,” says Puzder, who screens and approves a majority of all ads. “But if we run vanilla ads, this company won’t exist.”
Tell us: What do you think? Did you appreciate Puzder’s honesty, or are you more enraged? Write in and let us know.
Related Stories:
OCR Entertainment columnist Barry Koltnow starts a Save Padma from Carl’s Jr. campaign
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Just further incentive to NOT go to any Carl’s Jr. Their ads have been offensive for a long time, and the fact they see nothing wrong with it……..very infuriating.
I have one word for Carl’s Jr ads featuring Padema Lakshmi…”SEQUEL.”
Mr. Puzder is another example of management being arrogant and running a business into the ground. My family and I stopped going to Carls a couple of years ago when Hugh Hefner of all people was pitching their product on TV.
I once met Carl Karcher in your store and invited him to join us at our table. Things have certainly changed. Now they have pervert Puzder thinking that Mr. Hefner is a good role model for “young, hungry guys”.
I agree 100%.
Monsieur Puzder gave stock answers to all your questions. Almost sounded like a cross between an attorney and any major CEO. Gobblygook. The proof is in the pudding, sir. Your stores have gone down hill, and it has nothing to do with other fast food restaurants lowering their prices nor skimping on quality food. As for their TV ads, I change stations the minute one comes on. I’m never in the mood to watch anyone chow down big, sloppy cheeseburgers. Ugh. No thanks.
Insisting on running sleazy ads seems to take precedence over increasing business. Maybe they are hoping for a government bailout…
geez, I could really go for a Famous Star grilled hamburger but alas I will not allow my family to support Carl’s Jr which is clearly not a family friendly chain. I get that your salacious ads feed the teen & young adult male hormones, but this family does not appreciate them- thus you lose our business & most every family I know.
Ads that help “the teen and adult male hormones”…hmmmm…WHY is “Carl’s Jr.” not trying to UPgrade the morale of tomorrow’s leaders, instead of driving DOWN in the ground to join the other media mess a lot of them are stooping to?? Our teens need all the help they can get now-days. These ads are NOT the answer!
“WHY is “Carl’s Jr.” not trying to UPgrade the morale of tomorrow’s leaders Our teens need all the help they can get now-days.”
Maybe because Carls Jr is a fast-food restaurant, they sell food - parenting is not on the menu.
I totally agree. I have boycotted Carl’s Jr. before, and I guess it’s time to do it again, maybe permanently. Their food is NOT great, anyway; their prices are too high, but the reason I will not be driving through their stores is that their commercials sell sex and messiness, not burgers. In fact, I have chosen to go to a different drive-thru than theirs at times, just because I needed to eat while driving and figured their burgers would be too messy for me to do that safely.
Doris, it’s unsafe to eat while driving - period. You don’t “need” to eat while driving, you choose to by lack of planning.
get real, dude. everyone eats while they drive when they have a busy job. maybe you don’t understand that if you are a slacker.
I think the guy is an egotistical, narcissi idiot. He’s either unable to understand the bottom line or too chicken to admit he’s made some major mistakes. The bottom line is the proof. I don’t see In’n'Out running discounts and they’re doing quite well. Their ads reflect the quality of their food and their service AND when you go to In’n'Out someone who speaks English will wait on you, The stores are clean, and the workers are smiling. Come to think of it, Carl’s ads also reflect the quality of their food, dirty stores and the service, and attitude of the employees. The question will be whether stockholders understand this guy needs to be replaced or if he can be taught to understand a bottom line. His thinking reminds me of the market he is selling to - young sloppy, out of work males driving big black pickup trucks with oversized tires. Looks like they don’t have the dollar anymore. And his “in your fact” attitude is sleezy.
evennow, I agree with your comments. I too believe that a restaurant should cater more to the American public. It seems like they are catering to those who can’t speak English, but Spanish. If you go to In-n-Out, you see people of all races and most importantly, they all speak fluent English. Why can’t all restaurants be like that?
As for their commercials, I think they’re stupid. They think that by watching them eat all messy that it’s appealing? Get real, people are not stupid as they think. I think those ads gross me out, and I’m a guy.
Keep whining. Maybe you’ll eventually get your way someday.
it is not whiing…..it is called constructive feedback….something that you are not familiar with.
Carl’s(CKE) themselves can’t dictate who to hire and not to hire. What do you want them to do, let their individual franchises require only WHITE people or people with no accents only? Obviously thats not going to happen. Each individual store has a manager that chooses who to hire, so its not the CKE’s decision on who to hire or not.
And the workforce of fast food chains reflect who are willing to actually work at those places. You can’t blame them.
I went to a Carl’s JR. about a week ago.
I just noticed that their ATM fees have risen to $1.00… yep, $1.00 for a .25 to .30 cent transaction cost. They are now treating it like a cash cow. I live off my ATM and seldom have no more then $10 in my wallet. I keep that there for places that do not take and ATM.
Well, after I grunted at the “fat profit for Carl” ATM fee. I told myself no more, I mean first, the burgers are not _that great_, and in a weird way I am just as hungry a couple of hours later, they now have added a plasma display in the eating area that blasts their annoying commercials and music videos? (why? oh yeah, profit before a quiet eating experience.)
No, I am giving up on Carl’s because I am simply sick of their ads, and their principal of gouging on ATM fees during these times. But mostly the ads, which are an insult with anyone with a 1/3 of a brain.
So come up with all the excuses you want to run your disgusting, only a teenage boy could enjoy, shock stunt ads…
Dear Carl’s Jr. Ad Agency: Those without talent shock. And you are very shocking.
But reading the CEO’s attitude above is just the last straw that broke the fat ATM fee Camel’s back.
Been going for 30 years, but no more.
Put that in a commercial Andrew.
Those ATM fees are definitely outrageous. If your ATM card is also a Visa or MasterCard check card, though, you can get around the fees and still use your ATM card. Just make sure you choose the credit option and not the ATM option when you pay. It still comes out of your checking account, but they are not allowed to charge you a fee for using it. Most of the Carl’s I have been in recently support this now. I hope that helps.
Dude makes sense. Their commercials get attention, and heavy discounting hurts the brand as a whole. When I see a place offering coupons in the Money Mailer, I automatically think, “that place is hurting, must not be very good to begin with.” You can practically smell the desperation coming off some places. I’m glad Carl’s isn’t doing that.
I don’t have the dislike for Carl’s Jr that others here do. I don’t buy the big burgers that people complain about price-wise (it’s a buck for a quarter-pound Big Hamburger! Come on!), and I think the natural-cut fries are much better (taste more like real potato, actual food) than most of the rancid grease-sticks available elsewhere. Have you been to a Jack in the Box or Burger King lately? Ugh.
Mr. Puzder is just a talking head. He believes what his brand managers are telling him. I doubt if any of them eat at Carl’s Jr. And I’m sure California is not the only state that has been hit by a tanking real estate market and job losses. I also know a few hungrey young guys; my son and his friends. They DO NOT eat at Carl’s anymore. They do know what tastes good and they don’t even watch the commericals. — When you see our ads, you see them once, and you remember it.”—- He got that right……..
Well I guess he’s drawn his line in the sand. He said: ‘Carl’s Jr. stands by the ad mission, which targets “young, hungry guys,” ‘
So there you go. That’s the only market they are apparently targeting. And apparently at the alienation of the much broader market of people out there.
So we’ll see if it works. But my hunch is it won’t. You can’t base an entire, national-brand chain on a small segment of the population; in this case, “young, hungry guys”. Even if you are 100% successful in that demographic, it isn’t enough to sustain your business.
I’ll be surprised if Puzder is still CEO within a year.
As for his granting you an interview… I thought he sounded condescending and arrogant. To both you, Nancy, and his potential (and former) customers who read this blog.
Also, he ought to go work in one of his stores once a month. In fact, all of their corporate employees should be required to work one day a month at a store. Behind the register, in the kitchen, hauling out trash, etc. It would keep them in touch. I’m not talking about doing random site visits. I’m talking about working a full shift in a store once a month. I find it shocking that Puzder is shocked that his stores are dirty and unfriendly. He wants to pretend it’s an isolated thing. If he actually ever went to one of his stores he’d know that it’s the norm, not the anomaly.
The quality of the employees at CJ’s is suspect also….Even I get frustrated trying to order and the person at the counter makes me repeat my order 2-3 times sometimes. English STILL is the primary language right?
I agree, about a month ago I wrote exactly this comment to your initial report….” I believe Carls seems to be focusing thier disgusting ads on young, slacker guys”……..
Now that the CEO confirms that and since I am neither young, a guy or a slacker I guess I no longer need to wonder if I will be eating at Carls again.
You are right on target Nick- in addition to his outdated and old fashioned assumptions about the target market, he clearly does not appreciate or respect the current digital society. From his comments, the people who blog do not constitute an value. He apparently doesn’t value the effect of the current way that many people communicate- Facebook, Twitter, News Blogs, etc.. The old people in leadership go back to the times when only complainers would respond to providing input, so the information was irrelevant. In today’s age, the people who respond are a broader sample of the customer base, which gives it value. This gentleman wants to target young men, but doesn’t see the bigger picture- young men also blog and twitter. Carls Board- get rid of this dinosaur and welcome to the new world of electronic communication.
Carl Karcher must be rolling over in his grave!!!
PS - THE FRIES SUCK - GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD.
I agree. That was ridiculous to read that he thinks the fries are a hit. It ain’t just the Maven readers bro! I have met no one who likes the fries and most of them have never even heard of Fast Food Maven.
I love the fries.
So now I’m your first?
Well, out east, Carl’s Jr. bought out and refurbished the Hardee’s chain. Or something. All I know is that there is little difference between the two, really.
Thickburgers rock. If you have them in Cali, you need to ditch the 6-dollar and try a REAL burger. Better than In-n-Out, and I LOVE In-n-out.
Natrual cut Fries, like those you guys have in The Granola Bowl, rock.
We don’t have the 6-dollars now (they are coming back) but I never really liked them when I lived in California anyhow. Give me a mushroom-swiss Thickburger any day. Or a monster with veggies.
My one complaint is that when I upsize to large, there doesn’t seem to be that many more fries or onion rings.
And the burgers seem to have shrunk a bit, but I’ve been told the 1/2 lb patties are coming back.
I don’t know what your problems are with the commercials, because I liked them too.
I’m a 41 yr. IT pro, maybe I just never grew up.
I have yet to see a dirty store out here.
Y’all just need to move to Florida.
I went to a location in riverside for my mother, ordered a chicken sandwich on a white bun, got a wheat bun, english is a challenge at this location and the drive thru walls had ketchup and stains all over them..everythings going great…sure andy!
Stopped at a Carl’s recently to get a drink and give my 5-year-old a break by playing on the play structure. It was outside and absolutely disgusting. I stood there all of five minutes before calling my daughter out to leave. The reason I left? Felt like I was being bitten by fleas. The whole “restaurant” stunk and looked like it hadn’t been cleaned lately. They don’t have many healthy choices, especially for kids, and I find the ads way over the top. That whole image of gluttony and mess just turns my stomach. Ick.
I don’t understand how people are arguing this guy’s statement that most people like the fries. I’m sure they did a survey. If most people like the fries then most people like the fries… get over it. I, for one, do not. I do find it hard to believe that anybody could like those bland fries, but whatever. The ads, well, I’m a young, hungry guy. Guess they fit me just fine. I don’t care much for ads anyway.
I guess that’s the difference between Generation X and whatever they’re calling your generation… Gen X has always questioned ‘authority’ and so yea, I question what Puzder is saying about the fries. I think he’s full of it and is just trying to tread water long enough to get a nice bailout package when the board fires him.
I call it the D-Generation.
When the fires first came out I tried to log on to the website to post a complaint and I couldnt log on. I figured too many people were complaining about the fires that they shut the website down so they didnt have to listen.
i love the ads.
the kentucky burger is bomb.
the fries are ok. a lil greasy tho.
i think that ad with the doctor is hilarious.
it beats out jack n the crack’s doctor ads.
the girls are nice too tho.
i love the ads.
Are you related to the old guy?
Did he pay you to write this?
Everyone in my family has worked for Carls at one time or another. My Grandmother knew Carl personally! But Over the last decade Carls Jr has really gone down hill. It used to be my favorite place to eat. they used to more wholesome before the other guys were selling healthy food. They used to have salad bars, Baked potatos, Smaller Hamburgers that competed well with Mc donalds and Burger king. Now Its too expensive for what they serve and they have gotten rid of just about every healthy item with the exeption of course the Chicken Salad. Even the kids meals are rediculous. They come with adult size burgers instead of a child size one.
cheryl
his ads apparently are not reaching his target audience, The CJrs I go to are not populated by “young hungry guys” to any more extent than anywhere else. I suspect the “young hungry guys” like the commercials more than the food. And ya, add me and my wife to those that find the commercials to be a cheap ploy to attract the attention of people with bad attitudes and too many hormones. I think they send the message that viewers should focus on the flesh and not the food (perhaps for good reason). Also, just once I would like to go to a CJr and get someone who speaks English in an intelligible manner. Enough of using their fast food restaurants as a full employment program for 3rd world immigrants.
I have stopped going to Carl’s for the simple fact that their food is overpriced and the food is lousy. The last burger I tried was the steak sandwich. The meal was $7+. The sandwich (both the patty and “steak”) was undercooked and the fries tasted like they had been sitting under the heat lamp all day. I have not been back since…and doubt I will be back. For that same $7, one can get a fresh cooked burger at Island’s for the same price as Carl’s charges for their combo meals. Not to mention better tasting fries to complement the burgers as well. Sorry Andy…the quality of the food at the Carl’s by my house has already diminished, and so has the amount of my disposable income spent at your store!
Natural cut fries are HORRIBLE! I went last week and my fries were so dark they look like they had been fried multiple times. I used to LOVE the old soggy, salty fries mmmm. Forget the burger chains, i’m all about Del Taco’s burgers.
ashley: I too like Del Taco’s burgers as does my daughter. If I’m going to get a fast food burger, might as well get one from there and DT fries are THE BEST!
This gentleman is not much of a leader. He even suggested that the mass of folks who chose to write in the blog were dismissed as irrelevant to his company success. What kind of leadership is that? He must have run one of those failing banks or mortgage companies, before Carls. Not an apology to at least the folks who represent this newspaper sample? 100 or more bloggers say they dislike one of the products and they are irrelevant? He clearly has no educated understanding of survey sampling and statistics. It would be the ‘leadership’ thing to do, to offer some expression of disappointment for these reported bad experiences and make a commitment to improve things. He just rationalized the explanation for his failure. Results are the bottom line, sir. You are failing as a leader, if you are losing money, regardless of the rationalization. Other companies are learning to survive and thrive. There are some great books on leadership that you could read and try out. I’ve given you heard earned money many times to get a lousy product and I’m not that likely to send an email to your phony inbox, so you can auto-forward it to some other paper-pusher. I will be angry and stop going, and then post a blog like this. Instead of your silly inbox, try reading what is already here.
I love the ads and I love the food
A few years ago I contacted Carls Jr to complain about the sleazy TV commercial featuring Paris Hilton. I received an e-mail explaining their “target audience” of young men. Today I rarely go to CJ and I only go for a few of the Green Burrito items. FYI - I hate the natural cut fries.
Hey, the CEO says it right in this response, they target… “Young, hungry guys,” Frankly, that’s probably the only age demographic that does frequent fast food joints for regular meals. I don’t visit them anymore myself, but I’m older.
Oh wow, this guy is an idiot. I’m never going to Carl’s Jr ever again. I actually went yesterday and it took about 20 minutes to get my food and the guy got my order all wrong. Every time I go there the service is slow. I also hate the fries at Carl’s Jr they’re so freaking disgusting.
I agree with most of these posters. I am not a big fast food person, and I personally have not tried the food at Carls for quite sometime because it was consistently expensive and over priced. They seem to want to compete with restaurants such as Red Robin or Ruby’s rather than the other fast food joints. But that is exactly what they are! Not to mention that Red Robin and Ruby’s has people who speak English! The quality at Carl’s is horrible and has been for years, so this moronic CEO is just plain wrong. Their commercials are disgusting. Why do I want to watch someone eating with all this stuff hanging off their mouths! You know why Carl’s puts all this junk on their burgers? It’s because the meat itself tastes so bad!
Clearly, he thinks the economy is the culprit, and nothing else. He certainly does not share the same values as the customers weighing in here. Surprising that the Karcher family would allow the suits to diminish Carl’s legacy in this fashion. It strikes me that Chick-Fil-A and In-N-Out are both excellent examples of companies that balance financial needs without tromping over the values instilled by the founders, who were very honest, decent individuals. These companies seem to be doing very well with “vanilla ads” and actually little advertising at all!
Why are they reverting to sleazy ads again. Didn’t they learn from the way business fell away after the Paris Hilton ad? If you are a family restaurant like Carl Karcher originally wanted Carl’s to be, why are you having such sleazy ads?
I thought about this guy’s comment about the advertisements a little more. I really don’t agree with him. Ok, the girl in the pink dress is hot and it would get a guy’s attention for sure. But what about the ads where it’s just some fat slob eating a messy burger, making disgusting slurping noises? How does that appeal to a young, hungry guy? Is Puzder saying that young, hungry guys are fat slobs who chew with their mouth open? Are young, hungry guys dumb and dirty? I don’t get it. It’s a mixed message. The girls I get (to some degree), the fat slobs, I don’t.
Mmmmmm I LOVE the double Del cheeseburgers and Del’s fries!!
I work across the street from a carls with 14 “young, hungry guys” who went there DAILY until they started sliding downhill, now Del and Wendy’s get all of our business. The fries are HORRIBLE and there isnt a single “young, hungry guy” in my company who likes them. Thats 0 for 14 Pudzer, you do the math. You’ve lost 14 members of your target market due to your horrible fries, grumpy ill-trained employees, disgusting environments, and “I’m not listening to your comments/suggestions” mentality.
I don’t mind the ad’s, I know sex sells, but your attitude does not sell, Mr. Pudzer. Nor do your fries. There are plenty of other chains on every street corner who are more than deserving of our business and will listen to their customers comments/suggestions, taking them in stride.
See ya at Del!
We think that your horrible ads are offensive. Obviously you are not selling food. What are you trying to sell? My family won’t know about any of your food that you produce because we will not ever again be in any of your establishments.
What in the world were you thinking, just pre-teen boys of any age? Disgusting.
He’s creating a false dichotomy: “Either an ad is gross and sleazy or it’s vanilla. There is no third option.”
The CEO is right, he states the truth, the target are hungry man, the commercials are not offensive at all, true i see a commercial and i remember it, I still dont like the fries, but i like the burgers and the drinks.
Keep it the way it is, dont change a thing.
If you are interested in seeing what kind of guy Carl Karcher was, take a look at this great interview of him….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L5h7FfNEJs
I just watched that interview. WOW!! Carl is probably wringing his hands in despair! He and “C. J.”’s current CEO are as different as black and white! What a crying shame!!
Carl’s Jr combos are almost restaurant prices except frozen beef and stale buns. The quality of Carl’s Jr has gone down hill over the years. Why would I spend $8.00 combo late at night for reheated beef cause the workers are too lazy to cook.
I rather wait in line at In N Out.
Carl’s and executive should eat their down dog food sometime, and see how it taste especially after spending $8.00
Our family stopped going to Carl’s because of their SLEEZY ads! Mr. Karcher would not like this either. We are just FLAT OUT sick of Carl’s sleez bag ads. PERIOD!
Amen Sue! My husband and I have two daughters and we are no longer customers of Carl’s OR AM/PM. We are tired of degrading commercials that exploit women! Maybe my money is not important to either establishment, since they are targeting sleazy, young men…and that’s just fine with me. I wouldn’t want either of my girls dating any losers that eat at Carl’s!!!
I like Carl’s, the food, service, prices, availability, maybe not the restroom cleanliness at times, but overall the establishment is ok. The new fries are the bomb, skin on is, at least in theory, the healthiest preparation as it retains a great deal more nutrients. I never noticed the “sexy” ads, and the CEO sounds business minded.
I think the whiny people are just not happy with themselves and are seeking an outlet. To me, it’s nothing more than a vocal minority engaging in what amounts to be a small smear campaign. If anyone seeks to find something wrong with someone or something, they will find it - it’s called conformation bias, you find what you’re looking for.
I saw a reader talk of Dell Taco, while I used to like DT I recently stopped after I found they still used a large amount of trans fat in their products. McD’s, well, they cut corners by making a substitute double cheese burger (the McDouble) with only one slice of cheese. While it IS less fattening, have you ever noticed that even the BUN seems greasy? As for microwaves, Burger King, I saw at a couple establishments, microwaves their double cheese burgers, however I still like BK’s $1 double cheese the best, microwave or not.
KFC, well, they’re on PETA’s watch list and have you ever noticed the prices, you almost have to be a CEO yourself to afford their prices. Pizza Hut, well, they used to be good some 20 years ago, now… I’d rather have Digiorno. The list could go on and on, point being, we’ve all got biases and complaints, so Maven, why so much focus on Carl’s?
I hate their fries. I dont know who he’s talked to that has raved about them, but I refuse to eat at Carls beacuse those fries are sick. The only good fries left at fast food chains are McDonalds and Del Taco and have you noticed that they’ve NEVER changed their fries. Stick to what people are use to. Those fries are disgusting.
Once the “if it doesn’t get all over the place it doesn’t belong in your face” ads began I quit eating at Carl’s. I hate listening to people chew, chomp, and slurp… at this point Carl’s is an appetite suppressant. I have no problem with ads featuring the product and sexy women… but when I have to watch and listen to people eating LOUDLY, I no longer see the product as appetizing, just disgusting… How about the picture of the Chili Burger? Does it look edible or more like a port-a-potty disaster?
It’s all about In-N-Out and Chick-Fil-A at this point.
I can change the channel if I don’t like the commercial. What I’d like is for the management to teach their employees how to say Thank You!
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END. You heard it here. California is too dynamic to let a bad restaurant franchise flourish. Carl’s Jr. is showing all kinds of symptoms of a business that will not survive. I used to love going to Carl’s Jr. as a kid and clearly their quality has disappeared. They need a radical overhaul if they want people to return. I wish they would listen to what people are saying in the comments section. They are all right on. Watch as Chick-Fil-A and In -N Out, two organizations with much stronger values expand while Carl’s Jr. slowly dies. This never happened when Carl Karcher, a man of integrity, family values, and faith represented the country. This CEO is clearly out of touch…
I mean… represented the COMPANY.
I would think pudzer would want people to remember his food and not his sleazy ads!!
I just wanted to emphasize what most of the other people on here have already addressed, the quality of the food sucks, the crap they serve is overpriced, and to top it off they charge you too much to use an ATM card
Last time I went all I ordered was a chicken sandwich combo, medium sized drink and fries, and the total came out to nearly $ 10 .. $10 for this low quality fast food garbage? You can go to any other joint, hell I went to Inn N out last night and I could have bought 2 cheese burger combos for the price of one of Carls combos..
I hope this foolish arrogant overpaid idiot gets it through his head, THE FOOD SUCKS, and its OVERPRICED !
This guys is driving the brand to the ground! I wonder what Carl Karcher would say about this idiot?
He egotistical attitude has cemented the fact that I will not eat at this joint, screw you Andrew Putz.
The food at CJ’s is mostly meh however my one big complaint is with the ketchup and it chaps me so much that I really don’t enjoy going there just out of the dread of the ketchup.
Simply stated, I have to ask for ketchup from someone who might have a a few in his/her pocket and then who gives only 2-3. I have to ask again and wait while they go back to the counter and get another order for delivery and happen to saunter by with more ketchup. This irks me to no end.
McD’s let’s me pump my own ketchup, DT has all that I want by the handful, Jack’s doesn’t have that problem, BK let’s me pump it as well.
I’m telling you, CJ’s is really irking me with the ketchup thing and I don’t know why they can’t let me pump it myself. They let me get my own soda and as much as I’d like so I don’t see why the disconnect.
As for this gentleman, I don’t see where the market supports his better business philosophy. The consumers are answering and I’m sure he’ll have to respond to a changing consumer. He has a certain swagger in his answers but give it another quarter and you’ll see CJ’s changing.
I enjoyed your comment
This CEO isn’t even listening!!! Maven, please collect these comments and send them off to him so that he knows that : 1) we all HATE the new fries 2) we are offended by the sleazy ads 3) the restaurants are dirty and food quality has gone way downhill 4) we are not all “young, hungry guys”–many of us are moms who will no longer take our kids there!
I don’t know why everyone is in an uproar. Carl’s Jr. has one of the best hamburgers on the market and they’ve been mailing “buy one and get one free” coupons for a long time now. Very few competitors (none in my area) do that. As for the CEO’s attitude, I thinks he’s right on. He’s unwilling to sacrifice the quality of food you’re getting to discount the product any further. Get a life!
The CEO is delusional, I’m 25, single, and LOVE fast food. I’m his “target” audience.
I wanted to make a few points:
1) The Fries are a disaster. 90% of the people I know (9 out of 10 friends) HATE the fries and were just waiting till they brought the old ones back. Man, back when they had the old fries, if they were fresh, they were the best out of all the chains (except McD’s).
2) I hate the ads, but it wouldn’t really affect me going there or not in the end. I hate In-n-Out’s adds but I love the food. I love McDonnalds’s adds but I hate the food (except for the fries of course).
3) For some reason every Carl’s I’ve gone to is in horrible condition. The workers barely speak english (if you could call that english), and just want to get you through the line. That would mean that they have a problem with training, employee pay, and screening. Where are the starving college students being hired? (Oh, that’s right, In-n-out and Chic-Fil-A because they pay more than minimum wage).
4) The Food isn’t fantastic. I get more bones in my meat than anywhere else. It’s like their regular burger has now become their 6$ burger. I would only go there for the chicken stars (which isn’t even onthe menu) and breakfast items.
The CEO has gotta learn that when they make bad changes, it gets reflected in the revenue. They must make some dramatic [good]changes to win Californian’s back. I don’t consider Carl’s a step above any place except McDonnald’s, but at least they have good fries…
- Greg
This guy cant even button up his shirt or tie his shoes properly? Then put his shoes up on the counter. why would anyone take him seriously? Carls has gone downhill quite rapidly over the past several years. Obviously you cant expect someone who can barely dress himself properly to understand such a simple concept.
I quit Carl’s about 20 years ago. They chose the terrible ad campaigns way back then. It was the only way a parent could have any power. Boycott them. Once they went at it with Jack n the Box over the Angus beef adds, you could tell who the sore loser was. Jack in the Box is way more creative and kid friendly. Even so, I still prefer In N Out for the truly best testing burger and best service around.
F the thin-skinned viewers who whine about the commercials.
Hey Carl’s Jr. - I suppose this comment is from a representative of your target audience.
Haha. I guess Mr. Pudzer decided to leave a comment. Hello, Mr. CEO. Please improve your food quality, then we’ll talk.
I feel the food is solid and the ads are doing exactly what they are supposed to do, getting attention. And I can’t see how the stores are that much worse/dirty as any other fast food restaurants; Yes In N out is in a class of its own. But leave it for typical OC readers to complain about non-english speaking employees. Maybe if some english speakers collecting unemployment checks decide to get off their ass and fill vacant jobs, you will have english speakers. Fries are just average but they are just trying something different. I respect the CEO for at least attempting to reach out to try and address some issues candidly, don’t see many others doing the same.
lol this is hilarious people are getting mad and arguing over fast food.
Here is a news flash, it is all garbage, all of these places have horrible quality food, and eating it should only be a once or twice a month “dining experience”.
If you want real burgers and fries do them yourselves or go to a real restaurant.
It’s all about Market Research…looks like Carl’s is targeting the young crowd, single people who want fast food (don’t cook), and mainly males.
Carl’s Jr ads degrade women. Also, I don’t want a messy hamburger, who does? As for their fries….even when I make fries naturally at home, I skin them. I don’t like skins on my fries.
As for my business, I give it to In ‘n Out and Jack In The Box. Both put out high quality products.
I find the service at Carls Jr to be excellent. At what other fast food restaurant do they bring the food to your table? And I have not found thier restaurants to be messy. But the six dollar burgers are overpriced.
You guys are crazy, Carls Jr. rocks, they still have the best burger in the Western Bacon Cheese burger and the new frys are awesome, as for the restaurants I have never seen a dirty one where I go and their ads are hotttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. Keep it up CJ
In fast food restaurants you usually see a pretty wide cross section of people. They’re eating there because they’re in too much of a hurry for a sit-down restaurant, or they don’t want to cook or aren’t able to (like in the middle of a work day), or because they are looking for a bargain. Mr. Puzzler can ignore as many of those people as he wants in his advertising, but he shouldn’t be too surprised when they go eat somewhere else. And even “young hungry guys” are more likely to go to a place that serves beer also. So, he’s basically aiming at 16 - 20 year old males (old enough to drive, but too young to drink) whose mothers don’t have enough food in the fridge. Good luck with that.
I don’t worry about their ads, I just wish when I order, they spoke English well enough that I don’t have to repeat the order 3 times.
CEO Pudzer represents the worst of America’s corporate marketing and management. I’ll never step inside their stores again.
If Carl’s Jr. is going after the “young, hungry guys” crowd with its ads, then it ought to reconsider “essentially giving away food,” because isn’t it those folks who drive the success of value-menu foods? Does a starving adolescent choose one large burger from Carl’s or five smaller cheeseburgers from somewhere else with his $5? Considering most of the hungry young men I know aren’t obsessing over the quality of the junk they stuff their faces with, I’m thinking the value menu wins out with this demographic.
I can understand why Carl’s Jr. would want to market itself to the young male demo — bottomless appetites, not much cooking know-how, money to burn. But the current ads targeting these people seem to annoy other markets that might be more interested in the higher-priced product Carl’s offers than guys who pick up 5-for-5 Arby’s Melts and call it dinner.
Plus, it’s misdirection on their part to say it’s impossible to offer value items without sacrificing quality. McDonald’s McDoubles are the same crummy hamburger patties that go into the pricier Big Mac — you just get less food with the dollar burger. Why not offer (very popular) sliders for a buck or two? Same quality food, smaller portions of the expensive meat and cheese.
I’ve got no problem with the stance this CEO is taking. Good for him. I don’t think he should be trying to win over everybody anyways. You can’t please everybody so why bother? A series of compromises leads to dilution of quality. Every time. As for my personal opinion regarding the fries and the ads. I agree with the majority of these posters. I don’t care for them. I’ll still be going to CJ’s though, because there are plenty of other menu items I like and who gives a flying crap about tv commercials? Get over it.
I’m not sure why everyone is so in love with their old fries. The old fries suck far more than the new ones. Carl’s fries haven’t been great since they did away with the krinkle cut fries in the 80’s. I stick to the criss cut, they are pretty tasty.
I’ll always love their Western bacon burger and the $6 version is pretty good but my biggest complaint with CJs would be their disgusting new creations. How many meats can we top on other meats? What is next, the $6 bacon, pastrami, prime rib, chili, double burger with guacamole? Your product is decent, quit inventing nasty creations that just sound terrible and make me skip you.
The commercials are fine. If those really offend you, you are too damn sensitive to begin with. Get a grip. And could those comments about In-N-Out be any more racist? Most fast food places employ a high % of Latin workers that might not speak the best English. What do you expect in CA? Not every franchise can afford In-N-Out wages.
I’m not sure why some people would base their opinion about a product or resturant on a commercial. It’s all hype and by basing your opinion on a commercial you are buying into the hype. Base your opinion on actually trying the product.
I don’t like Carls because to me, their food is not at all tasty; not because of some commerical. And I haven’t liked their fries since they changed them the first time, back in the early ’70’s.
Oh Andy, you haven’t got a clue! We remember your ads because they’re sleazy and dirty, not because they’re so great! At the prices you charge, you should be able to afford top notch, world class advertising.
Carl Karcher is turning over in his grave.
So they run boob adds because it’s cheaper than being creative or clever? Due to budget constraints leaving any impression is better than none at all? I’m no prude but a company that promotes it’s (unrelated) product like this simply isn’t getting my $…it’s bad enough having to see vee-agra (etc) adds on tv every 2 minutes, maybe that’s their next “side” item, “and would you like to “go x-large” with a few erecto-pills with that sir”??
THE OLD FRIES WERE NOT ALL THAT GREAT, BUT THE NEW ONES JUST SUCK. I AVOID THE PLACE BECAUES THE FRIES ARE SO BAD.
Wow, he realizes there is a problem and he thinks it all just the real estate market. Yeah, the market is a problem, but not the only one. If you don’t join the club and lower prices, your company will suffer. It’s just the economy right now. Maybe you’ll pull through in the end when things improve. I like Carls Jr. food just fine if I’m with my kids. Not a favorite by any means. Carls is more expensive. For a little more we can go to a family dining place like Chilis or TGI Fridays. I liked the old fries better. I agree the new ones taste more like potatoes, but neither are healthy at all. My kids like the food, but not any better than cheaper fast food. If we do fast food as a family we usually do Taco Bell cause it’s cheap. We rarely go there or to any fast food for that matter. In n’ Out is my first choice for really tasty fast food. Good prices and good burgers. They keep it simple. I don’t think I’ve ever seen and In n Out commercial.
THE FOOD IS WHAT BRINGS IN THE PEOPLE AND IT IS THE FOOD THAT WILL TURN THEM AWAY, THE NEW FRIES ARE A HUGE BUST AND NO ONE AT THE COMPANY WANTS TO ADMIT IT. PULL YOUR HEAD OUT AND MAKE THE CHANGE BACK TO THE OLD FRIES OR SOMETHING, ANYTHING, DIFFERENT FROM THE CRAP YOU ARE COOKING NOW.
I’m a father of young kids, and no I don’t like Carls Jr. ads. They may be aimed at *gnarly young dudes* but a lot of other people are subjected to them. They’re patently stupid.
I avoid the place most of the time because of those ads.
It isn’t the fries it is the attitude. When did the consumer cease to be important. I want to be treated like I matter. Carls is a place where families can go and this is how it was designed by Carl Karcher himself. Now these guys are totally changing his marketing which worked well while he was alive. Their board and shareholders should get this list of complaints. They need to notice all the restaurant businesses going under at least in the OC and recognize that the dollar is king right now. If all these consumers are right then they are in for a shock in a few quarters if they don’t pay attention. I want to comment on the service however, I do find many of the employees to be English as a second language but I have never had poor service. As for their advertisements these are terrible and I am so disappointed with their choice. The fact the CEO views and approves them says something seriously is wrong with the managment team: their sexist. So I guess we who are not the target market should no longer vist their establishments. Thank you Andy we got the message. We won’t be guests to the CK establishments anymore.
The old adage that sexy ads sell products is one thing, and if it was just pretty people eating burgers that’s one thing. However, the CEO plainly states that the target audience is young guys. As their newest product is for an alcohol-themed sauce- Bourbon, maybe there is some interest from the state authorities who monitor the marketing of alcohol products toward young men. For the people who may say that this is not the case, then I suggest the ad that goes with the product- a seemingly alcoholic doctor who needs to have his bourbon. To me, if a company admits that they are targeting minors and they have products named for controlled substances and demonstrate this connection with actors, this is an issue for the legal community to explore. Class-action fodder for any interested underemployed attorney right now. Shame- shame…
Young guys 21-35.
Minors need not apply.
I agree with the fact that he doesn’t need to go sleezy to sell quality food! That should sell itself, right!??! CARL’S JR, GET A NEW CEO!!!! My family and I love Carl’s Jr.’s food, I don’t even mind paying the extra cost for good fast food, but this has nothing to do with the “hungry man” approach!! How many “hungry men” use the playgrounds, where provided, or buys kid’s meals?? Cater to that, Mr. CEO!!
Another thing - that’s NOT a Carl’s hamburger in Mr. Ceo’s hand. If it were - it wold be dripping ‘ALL OVER THE PLACE becuase their burgers are messy and drippy! His pride. Now whose hamburger IS he ready to devour? ‘
MODERATOR keeps deleting people’s REAL Comments!!! STOP THAT !!!!!! LAST TIME I READ OC REGISTER!!!
Carl’s Junior’s appeal has been relegated to the latest version of Beavis and Butthead slackers out there today who are easily brainwashed by anything the media presents that is extreme or has sexual themes.
This sucks, change it!
Over the years, I have been repeatedly disgusted by Carl’s ads. From a print ad referring to an offensive bodily function best done while alone, to the couple picking up French fries up off a floor with ants crawling all over it, to the latest which seems to make light of alcohol addiction, their ads are consistently crude and insensitive.
It’s funny that they spend $60 million a year on stupid, degrading, commercials.
Can you say free advertising for everybody else?
Mr. Puzder doesn’t seem to get it. And yet he is willing to run his company into the ground while repeating his mantra “Our sleazy ads are liked by some boys, and our grimy stores and thug employees aren’t that bad”.
Funny how InN’Out consistently provides top notch service by smiling, clean cut kids who speak English while they serve up a fantastic product. InN’Out proves all the bottom feeders wrong year after year.
This isn’t rocket science Mr. Puzder, it’s just a chain of burger joints and you are making it sound harder than it really is.
You are right on! I had the choice last night between a Carls and In and Out right next to each other and went to the In and Out. The Carls had only a couple of people inside and as usual, the In and Out had a line out the door. The staff were great, all smiling and joking with the customers. Even when they are so busy, the line and orders moved efficiently and each product looked exactly the same. Of course, it was excellent. The only people inside Carls at the time were a few teenage boys with skateboards- Good bye Carls. You will be missed.
You guys seem to have forgotten something EXTREMELY important when comparing In-N-Out to CJ’s or BK or anyone else, for that matter. INO is NOT (repeat) N*O*T a franchise.
All stores, the only stores, are owned by company. This company is still owned by the Snyder family (per website 4/12/09) with no plans to go public or franchise. Dammit. Because I’d love to buy an INO franchise and put one in Florida. Or 2…
CJ’s are franchised, except for some that are company owned. If the franchisee is running a crappy store, you need to complain to them. Or better yet, call the health department if the joint is filthy and report it.
I’m a Gen-X’er and I gotta say if they say their surveys tell them the commercials and the fries work, then that’s what the surveys are telling them. So far I’ve seen less than 1 one-hundredth of 1 percent of their customer base here complaining.
As Gen-X I applaude CEO’s that don’t crumple to the pressure of a small group of noisy people (ala Religious Zealots getting a show taken off air because it offends their antique sense of propriety) and I bet many of you here do as well.
Stop being noisy and do something to fix at least the filthy store issue.
Maybe a few health department reports for mr. CEO will fix that problem.
Maybe the guy running the Hardee’s side will take over CKE next and you’ll have the better stuff we have here :p
i haven’t eaten in CJs in years — why? I knew this kid who was a cook there, he had the filthiest fingernails I’d ever seen. Not grease, as in auto mechanic, but dirty. Gross and he was a cook at CJ. Enough said.
The ads are such a turn off. I stopped going years ago - Hubby thinks the food is gross too. We will go out of our way and have no problems waiting 30 minutes in a drive-through for an In-n-Out burger but purposely avoid the CJ’s that’s next to us. We’re not their target audience anyway so no worries there. However, we have influence on what our kids eat and they are moving into the age bracket they so covet. Guess they’ll lose future sales there, especially if they target such a narrow audience.
I live near the Carl’s Jr Corporate office. I have for 15 years. My one visit to their food store at that location was horrendous. An 11 year old boy was denied the discount price because while he waited in line the time period ended. He was 3 minutes late. He didn’t have more money, he had exactly what the sale price was on a burger. I bought him his dinner. A complete combo, not just the burger at a deal because children should NEVER be denied food. But the 17 year old behind the counter was just following “policy”.
This discounts Mr. Puzder’s ideas that they won’t offer discounts and their stores have great service. You’d think the corporate office would be smart enough to at least get the best to work at their nearest store.
Except In N Out.
If Mr. Puzder wants to know how to manage his business, he would be well served to follow their lead. They have had consistent product, pricing and service that is amazing for as long as I remember.
I can appreciate Carl’s Jr trying to do something different and to stand out. But ignoring your public is not how to do it. Maven isn’t some little site no one reads. It is one of many people are posting on. Google is a tool Mr. Puzder needs to use if he wants to know how many people (his customers) are not happy with the direction he is taking the company in.
I’m not sure what he’s thinking since Hardees is selling curly fries alongside natural cut fries and there is no confusion.
I’m also wondering how much the products at Carl’s Jr. have changed since Hardees has been consistently high quality for years. There were times in the 1980s and 1990s and that’s why Hardees is part of CKE now.
I haven’t been to Carl’s Jr. since 2006 but the food was reasonable, though I didn’t find it as well prepared as Hardees but they also weren’t near the low end, either.
A young guys mind has two dominant active areas: Sex & Hunger. So what everybody knows it! It’s just the way it is. Sometimes the two parts get slapped together as one, just like a great cheeseburger! Have fun, enjoy life and Happy Easter.
Face it the CEO is out of touch with reality…llike most of the CEO’s in most big corporation. Too insulated, too ‘Pig-headed’, too ‘What I say is right, what you say is wrong, they pay me the ‘Big Bucks’ to make thiese decisions, so I’m standing by them…’. Mr. Puzder, pull your head out of your A$$ and listen to those who are NOT buying your product. Those are the ones you SHOULD be listening to, If you want to hear what you want to hear, than stand in front of a mirror and espouse your position. But if you want to see what your PAYING Customers have to say, you better, (if I may take the liberty), READ on McBeth!
It’s now common practice for fast food burger franchise restaurants to have a value menu. This surely can be done without sacrificing quality or brand. To meet customers where some of them are, a smaller portion may well be worth exploring. Not everyone can eat the whole Six Dollar Burger. And my Wii Fit keeps telling I’m overweight, so I have to eat smaller portions and chew slower.
Moral here is: when things aren’t working the way you’d like, you’ve got to try something different.
I feel really bad that he is disgracing the name of Carl Karcher, who was a devout Catholic/Christian. He wouldn’t approve of this. He really made his business a family oriented one, and wouldn’t lower his ethics and moral standards for money.
God help this guy and those in marketing that continue to exploit sex for to sell.
Even the laundry detergent, I can’t think off hand the name of it, has gone the same direction.
Looks like another boycott for me.
I feel really bad that he is disgracing the name of Carl Karcher, who was a devout Catholic/Christian. He wouldn’t approve of this. He really made his business a family oriented one, and wouldn’t lower his ethics and moral standards for money.
God help this guy and those in marketing that continue to exploit sex for a sale.
Even the laundry detergent, I can’t think off hand the name of it, has gone the same direction.
Looks like another boycott for me.
In regards to Pudzer and his attitude:
“…you can’t fix stupid!”
The ads are not keeping me from eating there nor bringing me in. That is because I have never seen one. I gave away my old tv a couple years ago and only watch tv shows online or netflix. Life is so much better without all those annoying commercials. I base my eating habits on what I like and what I want, not on what the idiot box tells me. I can understand that everyone is upset about the sleazy ads, but let’s not get 100% focused on that. Carls is a restaurant and with or without those ads their food is sub par. Make good food with a fair price for that level of food and you will be busy. I can’t think of a place with great food in Orange County that isnt’. Especially in the lower dollar category. Why not focus on making good food and make your advertisements about how good your food is??? I eat out a lot (1 or 2 times per day) and I am finding myself and independent places more and more. It has zero to do with advertising and all about the food, quality and experience.
Before this article I thought that maybe there was just a bad southern california regional manager. Now after being mentally insulted by the CEO’s response, I understand it’s wrong from the top down.
That photo is priceless! I can almost hear him saying, “Don’t bother me… I’m busy relaxing… get your own Burger!” Kind of the Carl’s Mantra for service with a sneer!
Seems to me that the quality at Carls Jr. started slipping shortly after they transitioned in with Green Burrito.. I go to Carls for burgers.. not Mexican food. Why do you need both in the same restaurant?
Moreover, ordering at Carls requires an abnormally high tollerance for ESL impaired conversation. Not only am I paying a premium for your product.. I need to speak Spanglish to order? Really?
Take a page from In-N-Out .. it is possible to hire “EFL’s” (English as a first language) to provide superior customer service and a more pleasant dining experience.
Lastly.. I must admit that watching your commercials is more than a little gross. I really don’t need to see people mowing burgers (which, by the way, look nothing like the ones served to me)..
Whatever happenned to truth in advertising? Seems like bait and switch?? In fairness.. this is getting to be a common problem with most fast food places.. show a huge burger,.. deliver a puny thing that looks nothing like the one in the commercial.
Nuf said.
To each his Own!
Stop your f*^&$#@! whining!
The last time i spoke with Carl Karcher he was embarassed by both the performance of the company and the iamge it was projecting.
Carl was right.
Now it is time to replace the CEO, who in out of touch with the real world. A blind man can see the company is headed in the wrong direction (just like GM) what fools.
Cordially,
John Hopkins
Personally, I’ve never been to Carl Jrs, and probably will never so I can’t weigh in on how horrible their food, service, ketchup, fries, etc are. However, I would like to point out two things that have irked me reading these comments.
1) The frequent complaint that Carl Jrs employees don’t speak fluent English. I find this incredibly offensive in how intolerable this makes you look. Just because someone doesn’t speak fluent English, does not mean they don’t deserve work in this country. If you can’t take the extra few minutes it may require to communicate with this person, I don’t feel bad for your frustration in the least. It’s arrogant to assume that everyone must speak perfect English for their time to be of value.
Complain about their food, complain about their service, complain about their ads, complain about how they don’t let you pump your own ketchup… but don’t complain about the employees language or race, and the like. It makes you sound like a bigot.
2) There’s about 500,000 visitors to freedomblogging.com a month. I highly doubt the fact that some of you think the new fries are gross means your speak on behalf of 300 million Americans. I’m not saying they aren’t gross, but let’s at least be realistic in the fact that just because YOU don’t like something, does not mean they aren’t a 1000 other people out there who do.
End Rant
I would have no beef with Padma looking hot and eating a burger if it weren’t for the tagline: “More than just a piece of meat.”
Yep. Don’t get the wrong idea, guys. She’s not JUST a piece of meat. She’s more.
Sheesh!
Hey “risingup” did you advocate going after TGI Friday’s for their Jack Daniels Grill? You are ridiculous. Go away.
If they want to target “young, hungry, sex-and-burger-starved guys”….well, that’s what they’ll get. We’ll take our business elsewhere.
I absolutely LOVE Carl’s Jr. food. I like the new natural fries much more than the old ones! I love McD fries best, but the burgers aren’t as good. I can’t stand the fries from DT or In-n-Out. Everyone has their favorites.
As for the service and cleanliness…. if the one nearest you is bad, tell the Manager. If that doesn’t work and you like the food, go to one that is clean. The two near us are great! The McD near us has issues with order accuracy… 95 percent of the time, there is something missing or not the right size. So, you have to find the place that works best for your choices.
As for the commercials/ads…. it’s like everything else on television these days…. if you don’t like the commercial, change the channel! Please people! (Personally I don’t like them either, but I have no problem changing the channel… I usually change it during commercials anyway.) Obviously if you feel that your morals will be corrupted by walking into the place, then don’t go in. But, by the way…. watching the television shows and other commercials on air these days are just as bad, so you should mark it off your list of past times. Your morals are being corrupted either way.
I think honesty from the CEO is great! I would much rather that he tell the truth than to have some slime ball who will blow smoke up the you know what just to placate you, then go ahead and do what they want to anyway.
Obiously everyone will have their own opinions… that’s what is great about America. We can rant and rave and complain all we want. Thank God that we have the choices to go, or not to go, to Carl’s Jr.
I did mark TV off my list of past-times, in 10/03…and I don’t miss the slut at all. Unfortunately, the rest of America didn’t follow suit…and it is affecting them…people I deal with on a daily basis. America…and the world, for that matter, needs a good clean-up job…and “C. J.”’s commercials are not helping the cause at all. Sure…one major company won’t make the world a different place to live…but we have to start somewhere!
This is an article on Carls Jr, the business and food, not world change.
I relish the Carl’s Jr. ad featuring Padma Lakshmi. She really cuts the mustard. Where can I buy a poster for my room?
Whether you love or hate the new Padma ad - you remember it; that’s the entire point of the ad and that’s its success. What surprises me it that Padma agreed to do the ad in the first place; and that she works its. We have come to love her on the Food Network; especially in Top Chef - to see her indulge in a guilty pleasure lets us know she is human after all and not above the occasional foray into local burger-dom. Now I’d like to see the franchise end up on a SoCal burger comparison show with Guy from triple D with the judges from Top Chef!
Carl’s used to be our favorite, but I quit them long time ago when they started their disgusting ads. The ads have only gotten worse and I wonder if the quality in the kitchen hasn’t also gone downhill. The photo at the top of this article shows Andrew with his boots on the counter, is that how his mother brought him up? Mr Kartcher was a man of high values that made feel his food was prepared according to his standards. Thank you for the article!
I stopped taking my “young, hungry” sons and their baseball team to Carl’s a long time ago after first noticing the sleazy ads. Gave me a great opportunity to tell these “young, hungry minds” exactly why– now they are fantastic men who respect women. No surprise Carl’s is on the decline– and it’s not the fries– it’s the CEO.
Too bad Puzder has to insult everybody except the “young hungry guys”. By the way, what does this say about what Puzder thinks of our young men?
J McConnell
I am more enraged. To your comment ” If we run vanilla ads, this company won’t exist.” My answer is make quality like In & Out then you would not have to run ads word of mouth would be all you would need to get people into your stores.
We enjoy Carl’s regularly - our favorite menu is the Broiled Santa Fe Chicken sandwich (has an Ortega chili on it), salad and small soda. We ask not to have any sauce on the sandwich (healthier) and take no salad dressing (which comes separately). We see the ads, but we just ignore them - guess because we are not in the lean-hungry-young men category. We also find things clean and orderly and see an employee routinely sweeping and wiping tables, etc. If we ever have a question, the manager comes right away to talk to us which is appreciated.
Andy Puzder proves there are bottom dwellers in every fish tank.
Although, he’s likely to be reveling in the attention, it’s sad that it has become Carl Karcher’s unfortunate legacy to portray the image of young American males as being ill-mannered, grubby Cretons, who gorge mindlessly on anything edible. I’m sure he thought more of us than this. Apparently Puzder doesn’t.
commercials are not what makes me go to a certain fast food joint….I could care less about the commercials….honestly, I find the Carl’s Jr. adds to be pretty annoying (geared towards pubescent morons.)….but that’s not the issue.
the reason I stopped going to Carl’s is simple.
QUALITY.
what happened Carl’s Jr.?…..the CEO is in denial if he thinks the quality of Carl’s is good or “fine”.
soggy lettuce.
soggy bacon.
dry old meat….(don’t get me started on the chicken….I’ve had to throw out an entire sandwich more than once.)
too much sauce (to cover the taste of the meat thats been sitting out too long)
I think there’s more….
anyways…I used to love Carl’s but have been disappointed too many times to return.
I do think the western bacon is still the best burger (concept-wise) of any of the fast food chains but you’ve got to get some quality control….your produce sucks….check out Arby’s produce…crisp lettuce, fresh red onions, fresh tomato’s and good bacon….”but that’s just my opinion..man.”
ps. Carl’s new fries are way better than the old ones….the old ones were so soggy and gross.
I used to take my family, and It was not because of the ads at that time.
I came because of good food and a clean environment.
When ad add appeared, my kids would remark that is where we ate.
The commercials are now too disgusting and sleazy to want to take my family there. I stopped coming because of the unwholesome ads.
Puzder is arrogant and refuses to admit he is filtering his customer base to exclude wholesome families in favor of gaining young studs.
He will have to bring in five new young studs who will all have to come in often to replace my family, just to break even.
Puzder has every right to run his business the way he wants, and I have every right to vote with my feet, where I go. I vote not to associate my family with sleaze.
Mr. Puzder we are a large family with lots of young hungry guys. We spend alot of money at In n Out , McDonalds, Wendys, Arbys, and KFC but we don’t spend any money at Carl’s. Your ads are juvenile and offensive. I feel sorry for your employees. They must get alot of negative feedback. Keep running them and you’ll probably be out of busy soon. There’s no way families want to be part of Carl’s. In n Out runs VANILLA ads and they are always packed!!!!!!!!!!!! And so do the other guys.
Create a good family atmosphere and Carl’s will grow!!!!!!!!!!
Apparently, Mr. Puzder is surprised that people outside his target market actually tune in to the TV once in a while to catch his ads. Having been caught, he would now have us believe that they are not meant to be offensive! But, clearly they are to a very arge group of people… that is precisely why his target group identifies with them! Unfortunately for Puzder, the “Slacker Dude” community has probably been especially hard hit, as businesses now trim the deadwood from their workforces. Maybe Puzder will reward their patronage by giving them jobs at Carls. Seems like a pretty good fit!
My husband and I stopped eating at Carl’s Jr. a couple years ago because of their commercials. My 24 year old son is one Mr. Puzder is targeting and his favorite fast food place is In N Out–last I checked they weren’t running sleazy ads to get his business.
Having read CEO Andy Puzder’s comments, I now think the problem comes from higher up than any local restaurant’s staff. If the controlling party of an organization can only brush off complaints as being insignificant, rather than taking them under consideration for possible change, why should their store managers and employees make any effort to do otherwise? As for the Carl’s Jr. ads, they have long been unappealing, but that company isn’t interested in wooing me and others like me; they’ve already written me off. That’s because I’m a 50+ year old woman and don’t figure in their demographics. Maybe older, hungry women would be willing to spend more at Carl’s Jr. if were were also considered important enough to have some of that $60 million dollar advertising money spent with us in mind. After all, there are a lot of us around and our numbers are just going to increase over the next decade. In the end, it doesn’t matter to me whether Carl’s Jr. changes any policies or not. There are plenty of other places to take my hunger and my money, and it isn’t because those other places are selling cheaper, lower-quality food, Mr. Puzder.
“Men are primal, women are prey”
Nancy Luna, Register Columnist
Re: Carl’s Jr. CEO: We won’t run vanilla ads
I have written this letter in my mind many times during my 5 year boycott of Carl’s Jr. I must say that I did like the food, the service was always good and the facilities generally pass the ‘bathroom test’. I even worked for CKE in the ‘70s, the store on 7th and Long Beach Blvd. It was family oriented then. It was truly a wonderful environment in which to work, and eat. A true dining experience.
Somewhere along the way the focus of the CKE brand became fuzzy and Carl’s Jr. lost its way in the fast food chain battle for market share. The family, under attack on myriad fronts, was no longer a viable economic market in the eyes of CKE marketing management. It’s the men, 19-35, generally single, employed demographic that they’re now going after. Somewhere someone has crunched the numbers and has christened this new ‘marketing strategy’ the salvation of the bottom line and declared this demographic the new brand mission.
Robert Frost wrote in ‘Mending Wall’:
…Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.’….
I have two teenage daughters. When the opportunity presents itself I say to any father of daughters, or anyone with women of any age or significance in their lives, that the Carl’s Jr. advertising campaign objectifies not only women, but men as Neanderthals capable only of satisfying the base of Maslow’s hierarchy (breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, excretion).
Over the years I have synthesized my comments and will simply say, ‘Men are primal, women are prey’. That generally gives men pause, and they reconsider their dining choices. Perhaps those of us between 35 and 55, and have considerable influence with all demographics, are feeling walled out and are speaking economically to those who do not listen to our words.
My daughters have forgotten the taste of Carl’s Jr. They like their mother and I, explain to friends why we pass on opportunities to dine at Carl’s Jr. Their friends listen and find other venues in which to dine. We are inculcating aspirations to Mallow’s second level, and beyond, Mr. Puzder. Care to join us?
My last 10 visits to 3 Carl’s Jr. “restaurants”(?) in my area (Irvine/Macarthur&Main, Costa Mesa/Newport Blvd, Newport Beach/SE Bristol) have ALL been awful. The food quality has gone so far downhill it’s ridiculous. The “natural cut fries” remind me of pressed and formed potato flakes-HORRID! The meat seems to have a rather funky “wang” to it as well. I’ve given up. I used to LOVE this place. Del Taco is the TRUE KING of the french fry in OC now…….and their burgers, while kinda skinny, are VERY tasty!
Puzder is a pervert. I have 3 young men in my family and it disgusts me that this guy can think that he can portray women the way he does. We are trying to teach our young men to respect who women are and not treat them like tramps. If he thinks this is a wise advertising strategy he is leaving out most if not all women who have respect for themselves, families and most of the older generation. Great strategy, alienate 75% of the market. We will not go to Carl’s no matter how good they “think” their food is. Want quality burgers with a company that has values.. go to In n Out Burger.
IF THEY DON”T RUN MORE DISGUSTING ADS THEY WILL GO OUT OF BUSINESS??!!! If that’s really the only thing keeping them afloat, they must have a big problem! I guess they have a built a following with that formula and they’re sticking with it. Nice for them, but companies also have a certain responsibility to the communities that support them. Parents should rightly take issue with companies that promote these kind of morals with our impressionable youth. By patronizing them, we tell our kids we approve of this message. It might help Carl’s sell a burger, but makes our job as parents that much harder.
We don’t go to Carl’s Jr. for their obnoxious, disgusting advertising commercials. Carl Karcher founded the company on family values and it has definitely gone downhill in the past couple of years. Even men I talk to do not find their ads sexy but rather gross. Carl’s Jr. will continue to loose customers.
Has the entire company descended into one of their bad commercials?! Bad service, insulting attitude, sloppy food, untidy room, unintelligble communication, and no work ethics “Gee, we didn’t know we had to make fries that people want to eat!” Apparently, those running the Company don’t get paid to think.
Marketing Rule #1. Know what you’re selling! Unless you are selling bad advertising, a customer should remember the product more than the advertising, and in a positive way. Carl’s is now so predictible in their overblown crassness, that they are simply not shocking anymore. People have tuned them out, and what would actually be more shocking is to come down to a civil tone.
I’m quite surprised to see over 100 posts about a fast food place. But sorry, despite the number, it’s not a statistical survey as another poster noted. Good Fries said it best - conformation bias. This post is sooooo OC - conservative complaints about the sexy commercials and non-English speaking workers - no wonder the CEO doesn’t take this seriously.
I agree with mvmommy and others - deciding where to eat should be based on the food, not the commercials. Again, this blog is a statistical anomaly since advertising surveys show so many people now blip past commercials. Maybe some were blipping, but stopped when they saw beautiful Lakshmi - then the commerical worked. For better or worse, you watched the commercial, and that’s what CKE pays for.
Jeff hit on a point I thought of when reading so many complaints - franchise vs. company-owned In N Out. You can’t compare the two, you need to talk to the owner/manager of the specific Carls Jr. One poster said it best - go with what works. I’ve been going to the same one for years, and it helps if you treat the employees well - don’t look down your nose - this goes for all retail clerks. Another thing on this topic - In N Out has had the reputation of having high-paid burger flippers, but the employees of the Carls Jr. I go to love the company and opportunities for advancement.
On to the food, I have to wonder about all who prefer Del Taco’s Double Del over a flame-broiled burger. I mean, that’s why most people hate McD’s. In N Out has the edge since they use high-grade beef, never frozen (or at least they used to when I worked for the beef supplier years ago). Those who like Del’s burgers must be the same people who voted Pick Up Stix best Chinese Food in OC. Carl’s $6 Burger is on par with Jack’s Sirloin, which is smaller, and much better than McD’s Angus, which tastes prefab like all McD’s meat.
I really wish Carl’s would return to the fries of the 70s - the ones which were some sort of preformed potato powder, but tasted awesome. Some here have said they were crinkle-cut, but I don’t remember that. The new fries are not the best skin-on fries, but at least they’re better than everyone trying to copy McD’s shoestrings, the benchmark. Still, everyone seems to overlook Wendy’s thick cut, which I think are the best for that type.
Bravo for Carl’s bringing back the roast beef and steak sandwiches (although I liked the old steak better). Hopefully they’ll keep them on the menu. And the Santa Fe Chicken sandwich is untouchable - nobody has copied it and I consider this Carl’s signature sandwich.
On a side note, I have a lot of respect for CKE - when Carl Karcher passed away, they printed memoriam cards and placed them next to the registers. Now, they have a bronzed plaque on the wall.
PS. I forgot one thing. In N Out has slipped too. Nobody here mentioned how they no longer cut whole potatoes to order. IMO, those were the best fries - basically like homemade.
That bronzed plaque on the wall sounds good…but like the old saying goes, “action speaks louder than words.”
Installing “In Memoriam” plaques in the restaurants *is* action - they didn’t just say they were going to do it, they did it.
It is no wonder that Carl’s Jr’s market share and sales are floundering. The changing economy requires businesses to change to compete and Mr. Puzder appears to be one of those arrogant CEO’s that don’t get it. In his myopic pursuit of the “young, hungry guys” market, he is ignoring, and even worse, alienating the huge majority of fast food burger consumers. The Register gifted Mr. Puzder with valuable market feedback, and instead of giving it gracious and serious consideration, Puzder replies that he is “sorry”, “surprised”, “unwilling”, and change is “not possible”. The good news is it is unlikely that our nation’s taxpayers will be called upon to rescue this poorly managed company too.
I find it hilarious that so many of you ladies have you panties in a bind because of some ads directed toward men. The ones who say that the guys they ask find them offensive too, those guys are lying to you. They are either lying or p-whipped or both. If you don’t like the food don’t go. Talk with your wallets. Now quit your whining. Time for a Double Western Bacon Cheese Burger…Yum.
I like Carls Jr. I like their ads even better
Carl’s natural-cut fries have my vote. They’re the reason I stop there for a combo meal. The previous-style fries had a “packaged” flavor. The new ones are the real deal. If Carl’s cuts out the natural-cut fries, I’ll cut out Carl’s from my fast-food route.
Dear Ms Luna,
Isn’t the old adage, “sex sells?” If so, then Mr. Puzder should be
commended for hiring Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, because just like Carl’s
spicy burgers, Ms. Lakshmi is smokin. Honestly though, I don’t buy food
based on media ads. I buy based on taste and value. I am more impressed
that Carl’s Jr. spends less on advertising and more on quality. Their six
dollar burger is one of the best burgers on the market.
I use to be the account executive for a major telecommunications company.
Carl’s Jr. was one of my accounts. Once a year Mr. Karcher would host a
vendor appreciation night and serve dinner, have raffles and dancing. It
was always first class. Mr. Karcher would make a point of going around to
all the tables and thank each person for contributing to the success of his
company. Most CEO’s today are stealing the food from people, not giving it
away.
The most important point I think is missing in your articles is the fact
Carl’s Jr. hires disabled individuals. I frequent a Carl’s Jr. in my home
town and also the one near my office and in both restaurants I have been
served by a young adult who suffers from Down Syndrome. I will chose a
restaurant for its hiring principles long before I condemn them for running
an innocent media ad that features an attractive woman eating a burger.
BIG DEAL! If Mr. Puzder’s goal is to create a commercial that is
remembered, then he has succeeded. I can remember Carl’s ads as far
back as the commercials featuring Dennis Rodman. I can’t say the same for
any of the other fast food chains.
This comment comes from, Reader Red:
Ms. Luna-
> Couldn¹t figure out how to post a comment on the ³fastfood² address in the
> 4/17/09 article….so I¹m writing you.
> I¹m female and nowhere in the scenario of the ³target market² of Carl¹s Jr.
> One of their 5000 calorie burgers is about 3 day¹s worth of calories for
> me. I did try the fries and I happen to like them.
> As to the ads…they are so obviously aimed at ³young, hungry guys² why
> bother being offended? If you aren¹t a young hungry guy, don¹t watch. It
> is rather amusing to watch the target shooting, however. It¹s like any
> other subject…if it interests you, partake, if not, don¹t pay attention.
> If it works, Carl¹s Jr .gets what they are ³shooting² at…young hungry
> guys to buy their food. Good for all parties concerned…end of story.
>
> Thanx, for letting me vent.
>
> -Red-
>
> P.S.: Yes, that is my real name
We have a 9 and a six year old (boys) We were watching a baseball game on TV and a CJ ad came on and the gal had her legs apart and your eyes go right to that. My kids said, Dad, did you see that:? Then the gal spilled burger juice or BBQ sauce on her leg. She wiped it off with her finger, then put it in her mouth. We spend most of our time teaching our kids, respect and class and then the CJ ad comes along and tries to undo all these things. The boys now know we are offended as a family by this and they don’t want to go there now when we are out. Shame, we like the burger flavor just not how they PIMP their food. My kids pick In and Out now.
One could also be offended that In N Out seems to hire fewer minorities. Every In N Out I’ve been to from San Gabriel Valley to LA to OC seems to have white kids behind the counter, even in my predominantly Latino neighborhood. I guess it depends on what you want to expose your kids to. I still think food preference should drive where to eat, not advertising. I don’t boycott In N Out for perceived hiring practices, that’s a labor issue. I’ll eat at both places depending on what I’m hungry for.
have you ever looked at the employees in Taco Bell, Del Taco, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Carl’s Jr, and damn near every other fast food joint in SoCal? All Mexicans. So, just because one company hired more caucasians, they are wrong. Get real. All the other restaurants are against labor laws. There should be a diverse mix of nationalities at a large business like that. Most choose the minorities, because they work for less. I cannot believe you actually challenged a restaurant that hires caucasians just because there are not a bunch of Latinos behind the counter. That is unreal.
Do you remember when they ran the ad that said “come into our store and get a pair of red shoes”, showing a basketball player eating a hamburger with ketchup dripping on his shoes. I actually went into a store, ordered a hamburger and asked for my pair of red tennis shoes. Obviously that’s not what the ad meant and it didn’t last long. Then they started showing ads with a guy talking with his mouth full and for anyone who has kids, you try and teach them manners and the polite way to act, which was completely contrary to the ad. Most ads on TV insult the normal persons intellegence but Carls takes it one step beyond. It doesn’t take rocket science to know if you target a small geographic area you get the same results.
archtxt4u says:
“I actually went into a store, ordered a hamburger and asked for my pair of red tennis shoes. Obviously that’s not what the ad meant”
Rule 1: Don’t mess with people who handle your food. Believe me, cashiers don’t find it funny, they hate it.
I totally agree with you. I cannot stand their grotesque commercials. I normally changed the channel or mute the volume and not watch. All that slurping, chomping, and chewing with mouths wide open is sick. When I wrote to Carl’s years ago, they said they do that so people remember the ads. Well, I remember them, but it makes me NOT want to eat there.
I still love Carl’s Jr. If you don’t like it don’t eat there - haters!
This posting is a little late, but maybe a few folks still read this feature. Here are some interesting things I have found out….
Puzder’s background is as an attorney. He started out with Carl’s as their general counsel. Before that he was actually In-N-Out’s attorney. He reportedly was the first one to get fired by the founder’s son, Guy Snyder after he became Chairman!
After Carl’s racy Paris Hilton commercial, she was arrested for a DUI. Soon after that, she revealed on a radio show that, “I was just really hungry and I wanted to have an In-N-Out burger.” How fitting… Carl’s got what they deserved by casting her! But, you would think an attorney CEO would have made sure that her contract prohibited any public statements mentioning the competition!
what is your point? do you eat there or not? we all know that Paris is worthless.
even as a girl, i dont really mind the carls jr ads.
what i do mind, however, are the nasty natural cut fries =/
yeah listening to some grotesque swine making eating noises in a commercial or talking like a stinkin’ NYC jew or ghetto trash negro dirtbag makes me not want to go eat but go barf instead.
trying to parade some 3rd world woman as “hot” is stupid too.
the companies paid to make the ads are ruining carl jrs image.
why does every stinkin’ commercial have to have a halfbreed or interracial couple in it?
Carl’s Jr has really stepped low this time… That’s too bad.
In all honesty, we don’t eat at Carl’s Jr restaurants much anymore for a few reasons.
1) The local restaurants in Oceanside, California are always filthy inside, and the workers do not set a good example with their nasty appearance. We have a Carl’s a block from our home, but I would rather drive further to another restaurant. The area surrounding the building is normally dirty, the inside is gloomy looking and always has dirty tables/floors, and the workers look dirty. Their clothes hanging off their butts, greasy, sweaty, no hair nets, etc.. Plus their buddies are always hanging around the counter and loitering inside/outside the place.
2) The commercials are disgusting. I don’t mind the girl in the bikini; although some people may say it is distasteful. I cannot stand your commercials on account of the nasty way people are eating the food. The are gross. Food is dripping off their lips and chins. They chew with their mouths wide open and make all kinds of gross noises. It makes me gag. Your commercials have been that way for years. Why must the commercials feature messy food with messy people?
3) The prices are too high. Enough said.
4) Food quality is not that good, and that may possibly be related to the people preparing it. Our restaurants serve greasy, cold food that makes me feel ill. The soda doesn’t even taste right. It always taste too much like colored tonic water.
A lot of my fellow Marines feel the same way. They don’t eat there either for similar reasons. It is just not a healthy environment.
Interestingly enough, seems that people who think these ads are sleazy and disgusting are uptight and lack self-confidence….
they are commerciakls, if it has your attention, it did its job, if you don’t like it, CHANGE THE CHANNEL IDIOT!!
“WE” are adults, sqeamishness is overated and for little girls, literally, my daughter is * and is not sqeamish at all, that is embarassing for the rest of you..
don’t spend the $$, the time, etc if you don’t like it.
Grow Up
the ad objectifies women as meat and it’s disgusting.
Nasty Commercials. Are they selling sex or Burgers?
Nasty Food. They lost my vote in the early 80’s when they lost the crinkle fries. They were so good.
Nasty presentation. They last time I went to a Carl’s, I got their new special, which looked nothing remotely like the picture they advertised in the window. That, not to mention that my order was wrong anyway and I returned to get my money!
Adios CJ!
P.S. I miss the happy star as well. Six Dollar burger…Ha!!!!