Page 25 - February 2022

Terminal 2D, Charles de Gaulle Airport,
Paris, France

Some notable additions to the portfolio recently include the opening at develop new products and recipes that consolidate their market position.
Terminal 2D of the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Perfectly positioned They also back this up by keeping a close eye on culinary trends around
in the landside of the airport, it has ample seating, boasts a Carl’s Jr. Café the world, whether these be inside or outside the quick-service restaurant
concept, incorporates plenty of self-order kiosks and has multiple flight (QSR) space for inspiration.
status boards installed throughout the dining space. Meanwhile late last When discussing sustainability, a major watchword in the retail and
year the company launched the ‘OMNI’ Hardee’s prototype in Dubai. hospitality sector, Woida explains that this continues to be top-of-mind
This concept restaurant has been designed to test the multitude of guest as they seek to make their operations more efficient and their footprint
experience channels that CKE feel will be critical as they begin to become on the environment smaller. “We have much more work that we need
more innovative with how they can optimise how guests access their great to accomplish and it starts with eco-friendly and efficient equipment. The
food. From the learnings through this Dubai outlet, they’ve designed a innovation and costs in this area have not yet caught up with the need,
first-generation Carl’s Jr. OMNI facility that will be deployed in Australia especially for effective food packaging that needs to travel but we’re
and New Zealand this year. working hard to seek and test innovation in these areas.”
“In the coming months, we will continue to elevate and utilise the Although CKE strive to offer a premium product and guest experience,
additional service channels that have expanded as a result of the pandemic, they are still operating squarely in the QSR space where they strive
whilst continuing to play ‘catch-up’ on our digital and loyalty programs to remain accessible to their target consumer, offer a price-value that
where we are slightly behind the curve. We are also working hard to enables frequency and loyalty.
enhance and optimise our approach to our social and digital marketing “The culture within CKE and its leadership is one of service, family and
executions and our international branding efforts,” says Woida. a strong work ethic. With the deep 80-year heritage that exists in both
When talking about unit expansion, it becomes clear that Europe is a of our brands, we operate from an experience base that not many other
primary focus, with the UK and Germany being key markets for the concepts can claim,” says Woida.
franchise and development teams. Outside of Europe, they are looking to As he looks towards the future and what might be in store for the
grow in sub-Saharan and South Africa, Oceania and Brazil. company, Michael comments that being ready for anything is really the
Internationally known for its excellent product innovation, CKE houses key. “Assuming the pandemic wanes and we apply what we’ve learned;
a dedicated culinary team in its headquarters near Nashville, Tennessee our team needs to continue to innovate as our guests’ behaviour changes.
that work tirelessly in a fully equipped Culinary Center that serves as a We need to remain focused on the consumer and continue evolving in
centre for ideation and concept testing. This allows them to constantly order to be relevant to ours guests in this very diverse world.”

54 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL FEBRUARY 2022
Pertuis, France