#90 - Fast Food Freak

As I've discussed in the past, I have an input addiction, a reading obsession. I found this letter from Andy Puzder, President of Hardee's, on the back of the bag for my Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger.

"A few years ago when I became president of Hardee's Restaurants, we were selling so many things that we had truly become a 'jack of all trades and master of none.' Unfortunately, in today's competitive fast food world, that wasn't cutting it.

The chain needed to become known for doing something really well again . . . So I challenged my menu development folks to come up with a new line of burgers that would make people say 'Wow! I can't believe I can get burgers that good at a fast-food place.' And they did. They came up with 'Thickburgers.'"

It is important to note that Hardee's was going out of business and closing many of their stores before developing this new line of burgers.  Even more importantly, most other fast food companies were furiously adding healthy options to their menu. In response to criticism about the negative health effects of their offerings, burger joints were offering water, fruit and salads. Hardee's moved in the opposite direction.

In essence, they were saying, "our food is fat and nasty and will make you fat and nasty." And it worked. They succeeded by flaunting the weaknesses of fast food while everyone else was busy trying to fix those same weaknesses. They took fast food, which was already tremendously unhealthy and made it unhealthier. They took fatty foods and made them fatter. They took nasty food and made it nastier. And it worked.

Hardee's is a fast food freak. They are not ashamed of the nutritional content of their food. They have embraced everything that is wrong with fast food because it is inseparable from everything that is right with fast food.

Are you willing to do the same in your personal life? Are you willing to do the same at your company?  Are you willing to move in the opposite direction of everyone else? Are you willing to flaunt what everyone else is trying to fix? It worked for Hardee's and I think it will work for you.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my Thickburger. I think I see something interesting written on the bottom of the box.