History of Carl's Jr. in Timeline

Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain operating internationally through franchisees. It is owned by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., which also owns Hardee's. Carl's Jr. restaurants are located across North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa.

1941: Karchers Purchase Hot Dog Cart

In 1941, Carl and Margaret Karcher purchased a hot dog cart in Los Angeles using borrowed money and savings. They sold hot dogs, chili dogs, and tamales, as well as soda, from the cart.

1945: Karchers Open First Restaurant

In 1945, the Karchers opened their first full-service restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbecue, in Anaheim, California.

1946: Hamburgers Added to Menu

In 1946, hamburgers were added to the menu at Carl's Drive-In Barbecue for the first time.

1956: First Carl's Jr. Restaurants Open

In 1956, Carl Karcher opened the first two Carl's Jr. restaurants in Anaheim and Brea, California. These restaurants were smaller versions of Carl's Drive-In Barbecue.

1966: Company Incorporated

In 1966, Carl's Jr. incorporated as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.

1968: Chain Expansion Launched

In 1968, Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. launched a major expansion of the Carl's Jr. chain, with a limited menu featuring charbroiled hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and malts for faster service.

1975: Expansion into Northern California

By 1975, Carl's Jr. had over 100 locations in Southern California and expanded into Northern California.

1976: Anaheim Corporate Headquarters Built

In 1976, Carl's Jr. built its corporate headquarters in Anaheim, California.

1979: First Out-of-State Restaurant

In 1979, Carl's Jr. opened its first restaurant outside of California, in Las Vegas.

1980: 10,000th Employee Hired

In 1980, Carl's Jr. hired its 10,000th employee.

1981: Company Goes Public

In 1981, Carl Karcher Enterprises became a publicly held company with 300 restaurants in operation.

1984: Franchising Begins

In 1984, Carl's Jr. began franchising for the first time, expanding its menu to include items like the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, breakfast items, and self-service soda fountains.

1988: Insider Trading Accusations

In 1988, Carl Karcher and his family faced insider trading accusations from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They settled with the SEC and paid over half a million dollars in fines.

1991: Carl's Jr. Enters Mexico

In 1991, Carl's Jr. first entered the Mexican market.

October 1, 1993: Karcher Removed as Chairman

On October 1, 1993, Carl Karcher was removed as chairman of the company by the board of directors due to disagreements over marketing and business practices.

1994: New Management Team

Following Don Karcher's death in 1992, a new management team, headed by CEO William P. Foley II, was installed in 1994 at Carl Karcher Enterprises, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

January 1997: Dennis Rodman Commercials Pulled

In January 1997, Carl's Jr. pulled commercials featuring NBA player Dennis Rodman after he was fined and suspended for kicking a cameraman during a game. The commercials resumed airing after his suspension was lifted, but were permanently pulled in June after he used profanity against Mormons.

1997: CKE Acquires Hardee's

In 1997, CKE Restaurants acquired Hardee's, a restaurant chain with 2500 locations in the Midwest, South, and East Coast regions.

2001: Thickburger Line Introduced

In 2001, Carl's Jr. introduced the Thickburger line with the 1/2 lb. Six Dollar Burger.

2002: CKE Acquires Santa Barbara Restaurant Group

In 2002, CKE Restaurants acquired Santa Barbara Restaurant Group, the parent company of the Green Burrito brand. Some Carl's Jr. stores became co-branded with Green Burrito.

2003: Hardee's Introduces Thickburger

In 2003, Hardee's followed Carl's Jr. by introducing the Thickburger line.

2003: Company Headquarters Move

In 2003, the Carl's Jr. company moved its headquarters to a larger facility in Anaheim, California.

May 2005: Carl's Jr. introduces "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger" ad

In May 2005, Carl's Jr. introduced its "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger" in a television advertisement featuring Paris Hilton soaping up a Bentley. The commercial was directed by Chris Applebaum.

2005: Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes Introduced

In 2005, Carl's Jr. introduced hand-scooped ice cream shakes to its menu.

2005: Controversial Marketing Campaign Launched

In 2005, Carl's Jr. launched a marketing campaign featuring bikini-clad models that was criticized for objectifying women and led to boycott calls. The company defended the campaign.

January 11, 2008: Death of Carl Karcher

On January 11, 2008, Carl Karcher, the founder of Carl's Jr., died at the age of 90 due to complications from Parkinson's disease. Carl's Jr. restaurants lowered their flags to half-staff in his memory.

2008: Karcher objects to sexualized advertising

In 2008, before his death, Carl Karcher objected to the sexualized nature of Carl's Jr.'s advertising, feeling heartbroken that the company he founded had taken such "an amoral act."

July 2010: CKE Restaurants Acquired by Apollo Management

In July 2010, CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. was acquired by Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of Apollo Management VII, L.P., allowing CKE to continue as a privately held company.

2011: Turkey Burgers Introduced

In 2011, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's introduced Charbroiled Turkey Burgers, becoming the first national fast-food chains to offer them.

2011: Canadian Market Entry

In 2011, Carl's Jr. entered the Canadian market, opening its first outlet in Kelowna, British Columbia.

2011: Made-From-Scratch Biscuits Introduced

In 2011, Carl's Jr. introduced made-from-scratch biscuits.

September 2012: Chilliwack Outlet Opens

In September 2012, a Carl's Jr. outlet opened in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

November 20, 2013: Roark Capital Group to Acquire CKE

On November 20, 2013, Roark Capital Group agreed to acquire CKE from Apollo for $1.65–$1.75 billion.

2013: Carl's Jr. advertises nationally with Hardee's

In 2013, Carl's Jr. began advertising nationally in conjunction with Hardee's for products sold by both brands, due to the two chains selling many common menu items.

January 2014: Abbotsford Outlet Opens

In January 2014, a Carl's Jr. outlet opened in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

September 2014: Ontario Outlets Open

In September 2014, Carl's Jr. opened two outlets in Ontario, located in Waterloo and Guelph.

December 2014: All-Natural Burger Introduced

In December 2014, Carl's Jr. launched the All-Natural Burger, featuring an all-natural, grass-fed, free-range beef patty without added hormones, antibiotics, or steroids, becoming the first major fast-food chain to offer such a burger.

January 2015: Carl's Jr. releases "All Natural Burger" commercial

In January 2015, Carl's Jr. released a commercial online featuring model Charlotte McKinney advertising its new All Natural Burger to air regionally during Super Bowl XLIX. The ad received mixed reviews.

April 2015: Toronto Outlets Open

In March/April 2015, Carl's Jr. opened two more outlets in Toronto and a location at Vancouver International Airport.

November 2015: 200th Restaurant in Mexico Opens

In November 2015, Carl's Jr. opened its 200th restaurant in Mexico.

December 2015: All-Natural Turkey Burger Introduced

In December 2015, Carl's Jr. introduced the All-Natural Turkey Burger, the fast-food industry's first.

January 2016: Ontario Locations Shut Down

By January 2016, all Carl's Jr. locations in Ontario had shut down, although operations continued in Western Canada.

March 2016: CKE Restaurant Count

As of March 2016, CKE, the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, operated 3,664 franchised or company-owned restaurants in 44 U.S. states and 38 foreign countries and U.S. territories.

June 2016: "Au Natural" ad debut garners impressions

As of June 2016, Charlotte McKinney's "Au Natural" ad debut has garnered over 4.5 billion media impressions worldwide and more than 13 million views on the chains' YouTube channel.

August 2016: First Location in India Opens

In August 2016, Carl's Jr. opened its first location in India at Saket's Select Citywalk Mall in New Delhi.

2016: Carl's Jr. Listed on Top Franchise 500

In 2016, Carl's Jr. was ranked No. 54 on Entrepreneur's Top Franchise 500 list, which assesses the financial strength, stability, and growth rate of the top 500 franchises in the United States.

March 2017: Carl's Jr. releases commercial featuring Carl Hardee Sr.

In March 2017, Carl's Jr. released a commercial featuring Carl Hardee Sr. who wants to focus on food over sex appeal. The commercial also introduced modernized logos for both Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.

September 2017: Hardee's Locations Re-branded

In September 2017, CKE decided to re-brand its Poughkeepsie, New York, and Middletown, New York, Hardee's locations into Carl's Jr., aiming to focus on lunch and dinner options in the Northeastern United States, but those stores eventually closed.

2017: CKE Global Presence

As of 2017, CKE, the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, operated 3665 restaurants in 44 states and 39 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Carl's Jr. was present in numerous countries worldwide.

2018: Effort to Separate Brand Identities

In 2018, CKE Restaurants announced its intention to separate the identities of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., including remodeling Hardee's restaurants and developing distinct advertising campaigns for each brand.

2018: CKE resumes separate campaigns

In 2018, CKE resumed producing separate campaigns for their Hardee's and Carl's Jr. brands. For Carl's Jr., it started The Call of Carl's campaign featuring Matthew McConaughey.

2018: Company Headquarters Move Again

In 2018, Carl's Jr. moved its headquarters to Franklin, Tennessee.

January 2019: Beyond Meat Patty Introduced

In January 2019, Carl's Jr. added a Beyond Meat patty to its menu, becoming one of the first large chain restaurants to introduce a vegan-friendly option across all locations.

March 2020: Dining Room Closures Due to COVID-19

In mid-March 2020, Carl's Jr. restaurants temporarily closed their indoor dining areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic, offering drive-thru, pick-up, and take-away service options instead.

August 2021: Carl's Jr. announces expansion in Russia

In August 2021, Carl's Jr. announced a master franchise agreement with Nevada Russia Franchising Company LLC to expand its footprint in Russia by developing over 300 additional restaurants.

2022: Carl's Jr. continues operations in Russia

Despite the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Carl's Jr. continues its operations in Russia.

December 2023: Carl's Jr. Closed In Indonesia

In December 2023, Carl's Jr. closed operations in Indonesia.

February 2024: Beyond Burger Removed From Bakersfield Menu

In February 2024, all Carl’s Jr locations in the Bakersfield, CA area permanently removed the Beyond Burger from its menu.

April 2024: Still No Press Release Regarding Beyond Burger Removal

As of April 2024, Carl’s Jr has not issued a press release indicating why Beyond Burger was removed from the Bakersfield menu.

May 2024: Carl's Jr. to Open in United Kingdom

In May 2024, the Boparan Restaurant Group announced an agreement to bring Carl's Jr. to the United Kingdom.

July 2024: Carl's Jr. Reopened In Indonesia

In July 2024, Carl's Jr. reopened operations in Indonesia.

July 2024: Carl's Jr. Australia in Voluntary Administration

In July 2024, the Carl’s Jr Australia master franchisee went into voluntary administration, leading to the immediate closure of 20 company-owned restaurants. However, some stores continued to operate.