Carls Jr Brings Back Chili Cheese Burgers & Fries

Grab a napkin. Actually, grab a few. Beginning this week, Carl's Jr. brings back two deliciously messy items to its menu with Chili Cheese Burgers and Chili Cheese Fries. The winning combination of warm chili and melted cheese is sure to please hungry customers who crave a little mess in their lives, and drycleaners across the country are also thrilled with the menu additions.

Carl's Jr. Chili Cheese Burgers and Fries are endorsed by the international Drycleaning & Laundry Institute, which believes that chili and cheese should be added to all burgers, fries, and everything else for that matter.

"We love adding menu items that people crave and our Chili Cheese Burgers and Fries definitely fit the bill," says Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl's Jr. restaurants. "While some fast-food chains would be nervous about selling a menu item that's bound to be messy, we think that's part of what makes a great chili cheese burger and great chili cheese fries. To paraphrase the old adage, when it comes to eating a chili cheese burger, 'drip happens.' And, as one of our advertising campaigns once proudly proclaimed, 'If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face,' so it's no surprise that the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute supports our efforts."

Starting this Sunday on the Academy Awards broadcast in most Carl's Jr. markets, a series of television commercials taking a "messy and drippy" approach to advertising will debut. The ads depict various individuals enjoying Chili Cheese Burgers and Fries from Carl's Jr. but "spillage" occurs. The commercials carry on a decade-long strategy at Carl's Jr. to utilize innovative advertising intended to appeal to young, hungry guys. The ads were created by Los Angeles-based advertising agency, Mendelsohn|Zien, also the masterminds of many iconic Carl's Jr. ads including the memorable Paris Hilton commercial, "That's Hot," from 2005.

Customers can choose from a variety of chili cheese burger options with the Single Chili Cheese Burger, Double Chili Cheese Burger, and The Chili Cheese Six Dollar Burger versions available.

All of Carl's Jr. Chili Cheese Burgers start with a charbroiled beef patty, topped with beef chili, crowned with American cheese, tomatoes, yellow onions, dill pickles and mustard--all packed between a seeded bun. Single, Double, and Six Dollar Chili Cheese Burgers will sell for $2.99, $3.99, and $4.79, respectively, or as part of a combo meal for $4.99, $5.99, or $6.79. Prices may vary.

Carl's Jr. Chili Cheese Fries are smothered with the same beef chili, topped with melted jack and cheddar cheeses and served with a fork. Chili Cheese Fries will sell for $2.79 or can be substituted in any combo for an additional charge. Again, prices may vary.