Restaurant Lent offerings go beyond typical fish

Festive, but not fried, at CKE brands

(Continued from page 3)

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s also are trying something new with the typical fish sandwich, rolling out a Charbroiled Atlantic Cod Fish Sandwich, which officials hope could become a permanent menu item.

Though many regional burger chains, like Habit Burger Grill, have offered grilled-fish sandwiches for years, the CKE Restaurants Inc.-owned brands would offer such an item on the largest scale seen yet in the United States, as they collectively operate or franchise nearly 3,300 restaurants in 42 states and 27 countries.

Lest fans of Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s fear the chains are changing things too much, the brands will promote the sandwich with a racy commercial starring swimsuit model Nina Agdal, which premiered during the Super Bowl.

Dreaming of something different

For Chicago-based I Dream of Falafel, a four-unit chain of Mediterranean-theme restaurants, recognizing Lent required the brand to simply add an apostrophe to a signature offering. The chain will promote its “Lent’il Soup” heavily through Good Friday.

The chain also will call out many of the vegetarian items on its menu for observant Christians looking to avoid meat, such as hummus, falafel wraps, baba ganoujeh and tabbouleh salads.

Also, while 350-plus-unit Wienerschnitzel is known for its hot dogs, Lenten season provides the brand a chance to market new seafood items, packaged together in its “UnDER the Sea Trio.” The Sea Dog is an Alaskan Pollock fish fillet wrapped in a hot dog bun with tartar sauce and lettuce, and Wienerschnitzel also will offer a Fish Wrap, with salsa and lettuce in a flour tortilla, as well as a Fish ‘n Chips platter.

Contact Mark Brandau at mark.brandau@penton.com
Follow him on Twitter: @Mark_from_NRN