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Anyone that knows me in real life, follows me on Twitter or is my friend on Facebook knows I like Hardee's. You may not know
much about me at all, but you know I'm a Hardee's fan. It is something I openly talk about -- a lot.
There are very few people that actually know why. For all of you that have ever wondered why, here is my story.
My love for all things Happy Star started with Carl's Jr. nearly 30 years ago.
I grew up in a small town in central California, which was only a few hundred miles north of where Carl's Jr. started. I'd estimate my towns population to be around 5,000-6,000 people in the early 80's. We had 1 McDonald's, 1 Burger King, 1 Taco Bell and that was about it. We did finally get our first traffic light, but not until the 1990's.
My mom would frequently take me to the Solano Mall in Fairfield, CA. It would usually be at least a few hour trip, or at least it seemed like a few hours. It was probably a 30-45 minute drive to the mall but at my age it felt like a drive across the state. Plus we would have to wander the mall for hours looking for clothes and things.
During the hours and hours at the mall, we would stop once for food. We had a single McDonald's in the town we lived in, and that's what I knew and what I wanted. There were no McDonald's in the mall, only a Carl's Jr. It was kind of like a McDonald's, except it wasn't. We started eating there anyway. I remember being mad at first because I couldn't get a Happy Meal. Sure, Carl's Jr. had a kids meal, but it wasn't a Happy Meal.
At some point it changed.
At some point it went from the disappointment of not being McDonald's to being something special because it wasn't McDonald's. At some point Carl's Jr. became the reason I wanted to go to the mall. It was something I was looking forward to. After hours and hours in the car (really about 30 minutes) and hours and hours of wandering the mall, there would be my Carl's Jr. sitting there waiting for me.
And then I moved to Florida.
Following a job and a dream, I moved to Florida in 1996. I soon realized that they didn't have Carl's Jr. there, but it wasn't a big deal. At least I didn't think it was a big deal. It wasn't until a few years later that I realized that it was a big deal.
I didn't know it at the time, but in 1997 Carl's Jr. bought out the entire Hardee's chain. Somehow they must have known I had moved away and they were on their way to find me, and find me they soon would.
There, glowing high above the Florida Turnpike, was the Happy Star.
2/3/2000 in Florida: Monster Trucks at the Citrus Bowl.
I was doing a lot of traveling for monster truck events and I was returning from
an event at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL one year. I know it was Winter but I'm not sure which year it was, probably 1999 or 2000. It was
about 5am and I was tired and about an hour from home. I was headed south on the Florida Turnpike and I was just passing through Fort Pierce, FL.
I saw something up ahead that caught my eye but couldn't really tell what it was.
I drove closer and it got lost in the trees but there it was at the last moment. It was the Happy Star. Mounted high on a huge lighted sign probably 100' tall. I couldn't believe it. Carl's Jr. isn't out here, but there's the Happy Star right there glowing brilliantly above the highway. It was like there should have been rays of light breaking through the clouds behind it. I couldn't read what was next to it, but I knew it wasn't Carl's Jr. or anything close to it.
While gazing in disbelief of what I was seeing I just missed the exit that would have taken me there. The next opportunity to exit and turn around was several miles down the road and I was tired and wanted to get home, so I continued on my way. The next day I talked myself out of what I thought I saw. There's no way I saw a Happy Star here in Florida. It just wasn't possible. It was 5am and I was tired and I obviously was seeing things.
It was probably close to a year before I went up that way again. I remembered my Happy Star sighting as I approached that exit in Fort Pierce. I was ready to see a sign having anything but a Happy Star on it, but as I got close there it was.
4/10/2001 in Rocky Mount, NC.
It was a Hardee's and it had a Happy Star next to it. I pulled off to investigate and sure enough, they had Famous Star burgers. I knew this menu. I loved this menu.
Fort Pierce was an hour from where I lived but I was traveling enough so it was easy to either stop on my way or slightly alter my trip so I would pass by. Over the next two years I would notice more and more Hardee's in my travels and it wasn't long before I would make sure my travels took me near a Hardee's.
On February 8th, 2003 the Happy Star betrayed me.
2/8/2003 in Florida: Discovery of the Thickburger.
On February 8th, 2003 I went usually far out of my way to pass by a Hardee's on my way home. There was a nice highway I could have taken, but this
Hardee's was about 2 hours longer on some back roads. I finally get there and I couldn't believe what I saw. Thickburgers? What the heck are Thickburgers?
Why did they change my menu?
I considered leaving without ordering. I had just driven way out of my way for the burgers I knew and loved and they were gone. The Happy Star has never done me wrong so I decided I should at least give them a chance. Turns out, the new Thickburgers were pretty good. It took some time for me to accept them as equals to the Famous Star menu, but I soon began looking forward to the Hardee's that had converted to the new menu.
I didn't know it at the time but this was one of only a few Hardee's that was testing the brand new menu. The Thickburgers were the same as they are now except they had a very noticeable seasoning. The seasoning didn't survive but the Thickburgers did and soon the new menu was rolling out to Hardee's across the east coast.
Here is where I had my bigger realization of what the Happy Star really meant to me.
9/18/2005 in Oklahoma: My only visit to Carl's Jr. since 1996.
My attraction to Carl's Jr. and Hardee's wasn't about the food. Sure it helps that their food is amazing, but this is my happy place. This was my place hours
away from home that would be there waiting for me no matter if I had to suffer hours in the mall or hours of driving to and from who knows where.
If I ever had a Carl's Jr. or Hardee's near where I lived I probably wouldn't think any more more of it than the hundreds of McDonald's or Burger King's I drive past to get to my happy place. Now when I'm traveling Hardee's is the place I always seek out and look forward to, just like I did with Carl's Jr. when I was growing up.
Hardee's became the destination.
I moved to NJ the week after I discovered the Thickburger. Yet another place I'll live that's nowhere near a Hardee's. It didn't really matter because Hardee's was a place I go when traveling. I traveled so often I was able to get my fix quite regularly. In 2007-2008 my traveling decreased and gas prices spiked. I had already significantly reduced my traveling for monster trucks and the gas price hike all but killed off the Chevrolet Avalanche Truck Club I was heavily involved in.
I was down to only a few visits a year so I started finding excuses so that I would just happen to end up near my closest Hardee's in Myerstown, PA. Any reason I could find to head that direction I would turn into an excuse to go to Hardee's. It wasn't long before I did something seemly crazy. I drove 120 miles to Myerstown, PA without any other stops just go to Hardee's. It wasn't long after I made the 240 mile round trip that I did it again, and again.
Enter the Camaro.
8/6/2009 in Pennsylvania: First trip to Hardee's in the Camaro.
Now that I was driving just to go to Hardee's I wanted something a little sportier that was worthy of such an epic trip.
In May of 2009 I ordered a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. One month later Hardee's and Dr. Pepper started a contest to give away a Camaro identical to what I had on order, color and everything. Coincidence? I think not. In August when my Camaro arrived I knew where I had to go before I even took it home -- the Hardee's in Myerstown, PA of course.
#HappyStarRoadTrip
How could I possibly top buying a new 5th generation Camaro and driving it straight to Hardee's? I traded in my Camaro for a 2011 Ford Edge and soon after, drove it 2,879.8 miles to the companies flagship Carl's Jr. on Carl Karcher Way in Anaheim, CA.
8/26/2011 in Iowa: 24-Hour Hardee's in the parking lot of our hotel on the first night of the #HappyStarRoadTrip
The journey was just as important as the destination and there were many stops at Hardee's and Carl's Jr. on the way to California and on the way back. First stop on the trip was at the Hardee's on the Ohio Turnpike, which is the first one you pass on Highway 80 headed west. The first night we stopped in Davenport, IA and as luck would
have it, there was a 24-Hour Hardee's in the hotel parking lot right next to our room. Of course I had to stop in at 2am for a late late dinner and then again at 9am for breakfast.
8/27/2011 in Colorado: First stop at a Carl's Jr, and it appears they may have been expecting me.
The next day we made it to Hudson, CO and made the first stop at Carl's Jr. It appears by the sign, and balloons, and gifts, and knowing my name that they *may* have been expecting me.
We continued to make good time and the following day made to Las Vegas and met up with Julie (@carlsjrofvegas).
Of course while in Vegas, we had to stay at the Stratosphere since it's the only hotel on the strip that's across the street from a Carl's Jr.
8/29/2011 in California: Flagship Carl's Jr. on Carl Karcher Way.
Finally after 4 days and 2,879.8 miles we made it to the flagship Carl's Jr. on Carl Karcher Way in Anaheim, CA.
After a few days to vacation (Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, Six Flags Magic Mountain) we began the trip back towards New Jersey which of course was filled with may more stops at Carl's Jr. and
Hardee's along the way.
Hardee's Jersey. Thanks Mike!
Sadly, the Hardee's in Fort Pierce, FL and the Carl's Jr. at the Solano Mall are both gone. However, there is now a
Carl's Jr. in the town I grew up in.
It's about 2 miles from where my house was. I look forward to visiting it some day soon.
I have had a lot of great experiences and have been able to meet a lot of great people in my Carl's Jr. and Hardee's travels. First, I have to thank Stacie and Mike who are always happy to see me at the Myerstown, PA Hardees. I ran across Julie on Twitter @carlsjrofvegas. She is Steve's wife and Steve opened and managed the Carl's Jr. at the Solano Mall while I was going there. They now have their own successful Carl's Jr. franchise in Las Vegas. I came across Peter Shankman, who has made the drive from New York to the Hardee's in Myerstown, PA. Lastly, I have to thank the people behind @CarlsJr and @Hardees on Twitter who occasionally fill my mailbox with extra special Happy Star goodness and have to spend hours of their day sorting through @ replies from me.
There are very few people that actually know why. For all of you that have ever wondered why, here is my story.
My love for all things Happy Star started with Carl's Jr. nearly 30 years ago.
I grew up in a small town in central California, which was only a few hundred miles north of where Carl's Jr. started. I'd estimate my towns population to be around 5,000-6,000 people in the early 80's. We had 1 McDonald's, 1 Burger King, 1 Taco Bell and that was about it. We did finally get our first traffic light, but not until the 1990's.
My mom would frequently take me to the Solano Mall in Fairfield, CA. It would usually be at least a few hour trip, or at least it seemed like a few hours. It was probably a 30-45 minute drive to the mall but at my age it felt like a drive across the state. Plus we would have to wander the mall for hours looking for clothes and things.
During the hours and hours at the mall, we would stop once for food. We had a single McDonald's in the town we lived in, and that's what I knew and what I wanted. There were no McDonald's in the mall, only a Carl's Jr. It was kind of like a McDonald's, except it wasn't. We started eating there anyway. I remember being mad at first because I couldn't get a Happy Meal. Sure, Carl's Jr. had a kids meal, but it wasn't a Happy Meal.
At some point it changed.
At some point it went from the disappointment of not being McDonald's to being something special because it wasn't McDonald's. At some point Carl's Jr. became the reason I wanted to go to the mall. It was something I was looking forward to. After hours and hours in the car (really about 30 minutes) and hours and hours of wandering the mall, there would be my Carl's Jr. sitting there waiting for me.
And then I moved to Florida.
Following a job and a dream, I moved to Florida in 1996. I soon realized that they didn't have Carl's Jr. there, but it wasn't a big deal. At least I didn't think it was a big deal. It wasn't until a few years later that I realized that it was a big deal.
I didn't know it at the time, but in 1997 Carl's Jr. bought out the entire Hardee's chain. Somehow they must have known I had moved away and they were on their way to find me, and find me they soon would.
There, glowing high above the Florida Turnpike, was the Happy Star.
2/3/2000 in Florida: Monster Trucks at the Citrus Bowl.
I drove closer and it got lost in the trees but there it was at the last moment. It was the Happy Star. Mounted high on a huge lighted sign probably 100' tall. I couldn't believe it. Carl's Jr. isn't out here, but there's the Happy Star right there glowing brilliantly above the highway. It was like there should have been rays of light breaking through the clouds behind it. I couldn't read what was next to it, but I knew it wasn't Carl's Jr. or anything close to it.
While gazing in disbelief of what I was seeing I just missed the exit that would have taken me there. The next opportunity to exit and turn around was several miles down the road and I was tired and wanted to get home, so I continued on my way. The next day I talked myself out of what I thought I saw. There's no way I saw a Happy Star here in Florida. It just wasn't possible. It was 5am and I was tired and I obviously was seeing things.
It was probably close to a year before I went up that way again. I remembered my Happy Star sighting as I approached that exit in Fort Pierce. I was ready to see a sign having anything but a Happy Star on it, but as I got close there it was.
4/10/2001 in Rocky Mount, NC.
Fort Pierce was an hour from where I lived but I was traveling enough so it was easy to either stop on my way or slightly alter my trip so I would pass by. Over the next two years I would notice more and more Hardee's in my travels and it wasn't long before I would make sure my travels took me near a Hardee's.
On February 8th, 2003 the Happy Star betrayed me.
2/8/2003 in Florida: Discovery of the Thickburger.
I considered leaving without ordering. I had just driven way out of my way for the burgers I knew and loved and they were gone. The Happy Star has never done me wrong so I decided I should at least give them a chance. Turns out, the new Thickburgers were pretty good. It took some time for me to accept them as equals to the Famous Star menu, but I soon began looking forward to the Hardee's that had converted to the new menu.
I didn't know it at the time but this was one of only a few Hardee's that was testing the brand new menu. The Thickburgers were the same as they are now except they had a very noticeable seasoning. The seasoning didn't survive but the Thickburgers did and soon the new menu was rolling out to Hardee's across the east coast.
Here is where I had my bigger realization of what the Happy Star really meant to me.
9/18/2005 in Oklahoma: My only visit to Carl's Jr. since 1996.
If I ever had a Carl's Jr. or Hardee's near where I lived I probably wouldn't think any more more of it than the hundreds of McDonald's or Burger King's I drive past to get to my happy place. Now when I'm traveling Hardee's is the place I always seek out and look forward to, just like I did with Carl's Jr. when I was growing up.
Hardee's became the destination.
I moved to NJ the week after I discovered the Thickburger. Yet another place I'll live that's nowhere near a Hardee's. It didn't really matter because Hardee's was a place I go when traveling. I traveled so often I was able to get my fix quite regularly. In 2007-2008 my traveling decreased and gas prices spiked. I had already significantly reduced my traveling for monster trucks and the gas price hike all but killed off the Chevrolet Avalanche Truck Club I was heavily involved in.
I was down to only a few visits a year so I started finding excuses so that I would just happen to end up near my closest Hardee's in Myerstown, PA. Any reason I could find to head that direction I would turn into an excuse to go to Hardee's. It wasn't long before I did something seemly crazy. I drove 120 miles to Myerstown, PA without any other stops just go to Hardee's. It wasn't long after I made the 240 mile round trip that I did it again, and again.
Enter the Camaro.
8/6/2009 in Pennsylvania: First trip to Hardee's in the Camaro.
In May of 2009 I ordered a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. One month later Hardee's and Dr. Pepper started a contest to give away a Camaro identical to what I had on order, color and everything. Coincidence? I think not. In August when my Camaro arrived I knew where I had to go before I even took it home -- the Hardee's in Myerstown, PA of course.
#HappyStarRoadTrip
How could I possibly top buying a new 5th generation Camaro and driving it straight to Hardee's? I traded in my Camaro for a 2011 Ford Edge and soon after, drove it 2,879.8 miles to the companies flagship Carl's Jr. on Carl Karcher Way in Anaheim, CA.
8/26/2011 in Iowa: 24-Hour Hardee's in the parking lot of our hotel on the first night of the #HappyStarRoadTrip
8/27/2011 in Colorado: First stop at a Carl's Jr, and it appears they may have been expecting me.
8/29/2011 in California: Flagship Carl's Jr. on Carl Karcher Way.
Hardee's Jersey. Thanks Mike!
I have had a lot of great experiences and have been able to meet a lot of great people in my Carl's Jr. and Hardee's travels. First, I have to thank Stacie and Mike who are always happy to see me at the Myerstown, PA Hardees. I ran across Julie on Twitter @carlsjrofvegas. She is Steve's wife and Steve opened and managed the Carl's Jr. at the Solano Mall while I was going there. They now have their own successful Carl's Jr. franchise in Las Vegas. I came across Peter Shankman, who has made the drive from New York to the Hardee's in Myerstown, PA. Lastly, I have to thank the people behind @CarlsJr and @Hardees on Twitter who occasionally fill my mailbox with extra special Happy Star goodness and have to spend hours of their day sorting through @ replies from me.
Saturday August 6th, 2011 will be the 3rd Annual Hardee's Roadtrip.
Join me and my Camaro at the Myerstown, PA Hardee's!
Join me and my Camaro at the Myerstown, PA Hardee's!
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