Hardee’s Teams Up With Duke Dennis For Exciting ‘Tender Bender Lock-In’

It was a lock-in like no other - equipped with a star-studded lineup and lots of “Tender Benders.” 

Hardee’s first-ever “Tender Bender Lock-In,” an exclusive after-hours event, happened on Tuesday, Nov. 18 and included YouTuber and streamer Duke Dennis, banana ball players Alex Ziegler, Kyle “KJ” Jackson, Dakota Albritton, and Dalton Mauldin. 

Throughout the "lock-in," the stars competed in challenges, shared some behind-the-scenes content, and put the spotlight on the star of the night - Hardee’s signature hand-breaded chicken fingers.

Duke Dennis chatted with The Blast after the event to share some of the fun from the lock-in, including the most shocking moment from the event, how long they were locked in, what's next for him, and more.

Being locked in a fast-food restaurant for a fun evening event sounds like a good time to many, and streamer Dennis would totally agree. He shared the experience with The Blast after the inaugural event that took place earlier this week.

"Imagine being stuck in your favorite restaurant with your friends, playing games, and having unlimited access to your favorite food," he said. "Not going to lie, you can't beat that. They definitely need to do this again."

Dennis further explained the first-time event.

"Hardee's basically locked us inside one of their restaurants for the night to celebrate 'Tender Bender Tuesday' - which is their BOGO deal on Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders for My Rewards members," Dennis told The Blast exclusively. "Hardee's brought my friend Davo and I to host challenges for the banana ball players. We all had great chemistry and it was good vibes."

The fun wasn't only contained to the inside of the Hardee's where the event was taking place but also drew a crowd outside to watch the fun unfold.

"The crowd outside was cool and they were interactive throughout the challenges," he told The Blast. "I was surprised at how many people were there and the energy of the crowd. I met the banana ball guys and we clicked really well - we had great chemistry."

They ended up staying locked in past 10 p.m. but Dennis said, "it didn't feel like it because we were having a good time." He added that when the food is flowing non-stop, you're really not thinking about the time spent locked in.

Of course, we all imagine that a memorable moment from the evening was the unlimited "Tender Benders," but the challenges also took center stage.

"My favorite moment from the night was the KJ comeback," Dennis said. "I'm not going to lie, in the first half, he was behind, but it's not about how you start, it's about how you finish."

Dennis said he wasn't expecting KJ to have a comeback because he "really had zero points at the beginning" but somehow, he was able to win. "You can't make that up," Dennis shared.

As for who had the most energy during the event, Dennis said it had to be all the banana ball players, who he described as "natural entertainers."

The night sparked some new collaboration ideas for Dennis who said as soon as the banana ball season begins, he's going to a game so they can all collab again.

If Hardee's decides to do another lock-in one day, Dennis has a request.

"Make the whole event bigger," he said. "Possibly let us run a Hardee's for the day."

Dennis said that 2026 is going to be a year of traveling for him, and he wants his followers to "be on the lookout for the 24-hour vlogs."

Hardee's first "Tender Bender Lock-In" was a great success and brought more attention to Hardee's delicious "Tender Benders" and a special that's going on now through June 2026.

Before the event, Sarah Breymaier, vice president of brand at Hardee’s, shared a little about the "lock-in" and "Tender Bender Tuesdays."

"We're bringing together flavor, fun, and fandom in a way only Hardee's can," said Breymaier, according to a press release sent to The Blast. "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."

Now through June 2026, Hardee’s is giving My Rewards members a tasty perk - buy a 3-piece order of Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders and get another one free every Tender Bender Tuesday.