Carl's Jr. And Hardee's: What's The Difference?

While Carl's Jr. and Hardee's appear to be the same restaurant with different names, a few key aspects separate the beloved chains beyond just their names.

Carl's Jr. was established in Los Angeles in 1941 by Carl and Margaret Karcher. Hardee’s was established years in 1960 in North Carolina by Wilber Hardee of Greenville.

In 1997, Carl's Jr. owner, CKE Restaurants, purchased Hardee's and merged the two while keeping the names — Carl's Jr. on the West Coast and Hardee's in the East and Midwest.

Each restaurant offers some distinctive menu items that the other does not. For example, Carl's Jr. sells western bacon cheeseburgers, while Hardee's offers Frisco burgers.