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Case Studies CKE (Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s)
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CKE (Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s) | Olo Case Study

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s enter new era of digital hospitality

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”) runs and operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, two iconic restaurant brands with nearly 4,000 locations in 40 countries. Though well-known for its premium burgers, freshly baked biscuits, and hand-breaded chicken tenders, CKE found itself playing catch-up as the restaurant industry rapidly innovated to meet evolving consumer behavior. Since teaming up with Olo, CKE has not only caught up to the technical sophistication of competing QSRs but is already looking ahead to the next phase of its digital evolution.

LINKS

~20%

Increase in average check

~5%

Increase in the number of digital transactions

CKE (Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s) | Olo Case Study

Background

Prior to October 2020, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s had no app, mobile ordering, integrated delivery, or loyalty. The restaurant group had tried to build its own unified digital ordering platform and engaged various technology providers previously, but development and deployment were stalled as it didn’t meet ever-changing consumer needs. So when CTO Phil Crawford joined, he had one goal: to build a frictionless guest experience and help CKE become digitally relevant within the QSR industry.

Leveraging Olo’s breadth of experience in the restaurant industry, resources, integrations, speed, and ongoing support, Crawford knew Olo could serve as a key component of CKE’s tech stack and digital ordering ecosystem.

Results with Olo

01 

LIFT IN DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS AND AVERAGE CHECK

A year and a half after reaching out to our team, 85% of CKE’s 2,800 domestic restaurants are fully deployed with Olo. Since rolling out Ordering (Pickup, Curbside, Drive-thru), Rails, and Dispatch, CKE has seen a significant lift in both the number of digital transactions as well as average check across Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. It’s all part of a new era of digital hospitality that is only just beginning at CKE, which recently added Order with Google through Olo and integrated loyalty to further engage guests.

02 

BETTER SERVICE AND RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT

With online ordering and delivery integrations, guests can now get their food exactly when and where they want it. Operationally, CKE can strategically manage its restaurants more efficiently, while offering higher quality service and order accuracy.

03 

UPTICK IN AVERAGE ITEMS AND REDUCTION IN MANUAL WORK

CKE has seen an uptick in average items and spending across digital channels by giving guests the power to order from their own devices. Additional benefits include labor savings as well as a reduction in manual work and human error.
03

Other QSR brands were so much further along in their digital evolution, and Olo allowed us to get caught up quickly without having to build it all from scratch. A true build vs. buy paradigm. The speed to market and the true partnership that we’ve fostered over this short time have made Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s digitally relevant. As we look toward the future and define our roadmap, we can count on Olo. They already have the native solutions ready to deploy and/or integrations to various hospitality technology providers to shape the future of what’s possible for restaurants.

Phil Crawford, Chief Technology Officer

CKE (Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s)

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