FRANKLIN, TN (November 11, 2025) Hardee’s will host its first Tender Bender Lock-In event on November 18, 2025 at 7 PM, featuring YouTube and Twitch streamer Duke Dennis alongside banana ball players Alex Ziegler, Kyle “KJ” Jackson, Dalton Mauldin, and Dakota Albritton. According to the company’s announcement, the exclusive after-hours event celebrates Tender Bender Tuesday, the chain’s new BOGO promotion for Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders available to My Rewards members every Tuesday through June 30, 2026.
The lock-in will feature friendly competitions, behind-the-scenes content, and fan engagement through Hardee’s social channels, with opportunities for fans to win autographed memorabilia. The company said the event aims to generate viral content while promoting the weekly chicken tender deal running throughout the promotional period.
The event details
The Tender Bender Lock-In takes place on November 18 starting at 7 PM, with Duke Dennis and four banana ball players participating in challenges and competitions centered around Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders. Fans can follow the event in real time on Hardee’s social channels, including YouTube at youtube.com/@Hardees, with opportunities to enter contests for exclusive prizes and autographed memorabilia.
The event promotes Tender Bender Tuesday, a BOGO offer available exclusively to Hardee’s My Rewards members every Tuesday through June 30, 2026. Members receive one free 3-piece order of Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders with the purchase of another at regular menu price. The offer can be redeemed via the Hardee’s app, website, or in-store by loading the offer to their Member QR code, limited to one offer per registered user each Tuesday.
Sarah Breymaier, Hardee’s brand vice president, stated in the press release:
“We’re bringing together flavor, fun and fandom in a way only Hardee’s can. With our new Tender Bender Tuesdays and this one-of-a-kind lock-in event, we’re inviting everyone to be part of the goodness and the juicy hand-breaded chicken Hardee’s is famous for.”
Duke Dennis added:
“I’m looking forward to having a good time and watching the Tender Bender competition go down, this will be good vibes and good food!”
The Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders featured in the promotion are made with premium all-white meat chicken strips that are hand-dipped in buttermilk, lightly breaded, and fried to golden brown. The tenders are served with a choice of dipping sauce and can be paired with natural cut French fries, crispy curls, or desserts like apple turnovers.
Why it matters
The Tender Bender Lock-In represents QSR brands’ increasing investment in influencer marketing and experiential events to drive awareness of promotional campaigns among Gen Z consumers. By partnering with social media personalities like Duke Dennis, who commands millions of followers across YouTube and Twitch, Hardee’s is creating content designed for viral distribution while reinforcing a recurring promotional calendar around Tender Bender Tuesday.
The seven-month promotional window from November 2025 through June 2026 signals a strategic shift toward sustained value offerings rather than short-term limited-time offers. The Tuesday-specific promotion creates predictable traffic patterns for restaurant operators while the My Rewards membership requirement builds customer data capture and repeat visit frequency. The lock-in event serves as both a launch mechanism and content generator for sustaining interest throughout the extended promotional period.
For chicken suppliers and breading manufacturers, multi-month promotional commitments from major QSR chains create demand forecasting opportunities and supply chain planning advantages. The emphasis on hand-breaded preparation and premium positioning reflects consumer preferences for quality perception in value-tier offerings. Co-packers and food service distributors supporting QSR chains should anticipate Tuesday volume spikes at participating locations and coordinate with poultry processors to ensure consistent supply of breast meat products meeting hand-breading specifications.
The influencer partnership model also creates opportunities for ingredient suppliers to position products within branded content, as food-focused challenges and taste tests often highlight specific preparation methods and ingredient quality that can drive consumer perception of brand differentiation in the competitive chicken tender category.
FAQs
When is the Tender Bender Lock-In event? The event takes place on November 18, 2025 starting at 7 PM.
How can I watch the Tender Bender Lock-In? Fans can follow the event in real time on Hardee’s social channels, including YouTube at youtube.com/@Hardees.
What is Tender Bender Tuesday? It’s a BOGO promotion where Hardee’s My Rewards members receive one free 3-piece order of Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders with the purchase of another at regular menu price, available every Tuesday through June 30, 2026.
How do I redeem the Tender Bender Tuesday offer? My Rewards members can redeem the offer via the Hardee’s app, website, or in-store by loading the offer to their Member QR code. The promotion is limited to one offer per registered user each Tuesday.
Who is participating in the lock-in event? Duke Dennis (YouTube and Twitch streamer) and banana ball players Alex Ziegler, Kyle “KJ” Jackson, Dalton Mauldin, and Dakota Albritton will participate in the event.
About Source86
Source86 works with QSR chains, poultry suppliers, and breading manufacturers supporting promotional campaigns and menu innovations in the chicken category. Whether you are sourcing bulk chicken breast products, developing proprietary breading formulations, or coordinating with co-manufacturers for high-volume production during promotional periods, Source86 provides end-to-end support including supplier verification, quality assurance protocols, and distribution partnerships.
Ready to support your next QSR chicken innovation or promotional launch? Contact Source86 to discuss how we can help with ingredient sourcing, co-packing coordination, and supply chain management for the food service and restaurant sectors.
