CKE names Hardee’s, Carl’s Jr. US brand presidents

Dive Brief:

CKE has hired Blake Devillier as Carl's Jr. USA president, according to a press release issued Wednesday. Devillier will serve alongside Chris Bode, who has been Hardee’s USA president since the fall, according to his LinkedIn, and Mike Woida, who has been CKE’s international president for more than five years.
Devillier joined CKE from Yum Brands on April 1. At Yum, the release said, Devillier was senior vice president of field operations for Taco Bell.
While the brands share a similar visual identity, according to the press release, Carl’s Jr.’s brand identity has generally revolved around “big, audacious, impossible-to-ignore flavors,” as opposed to Hardee’s more staid “wholesome” brand identity.

Dive Insight:

CKE said Devillier was hired “following the separation of the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brand,” and that its business structure now consists of a tripartite division between the international and the stateside operations of the two brands.

In an email to Restaurant Dive, CKE said it began to separate its marketing efforts for the brands in the summer of 2023 to take advantage of differing consumer demographics.The appointment of Devillier signals a further divergence in brand identities, strategy and operations, the company said, with Carl’s Jr. focusing on large burgers with bold flavors and Hardee’s on the “craftsmanship and goodness” of its food items.

As an example of that strategy, the company said “in February, Carl’s Jr. had a free burger day offer with disruptive advertising during the [Super Bowl] that highlighted the bold flavor of the iconic burgers.”

Max Wetzel, who joined CKE as CEO last year, said “with a focus on dedicated brand growth plans and the leverage of CKE's global infrastructure, we're poised to achieve transformative results.”

Since the start of 2023, CKE has launched a loyalty program that spans both brands. Later that year, CKE hired a new CFO and CMO, with responsibilities across the two brands. Just shy of two years ago, CKE announced a major $500 million overhaul and renovation program across its system.