History of Carl's Jr. in Timeline

Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain owned by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., which also owns Hardee's. The chain operates via franchisees and has a significant international presence, with locations spanning North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa. It is known for its burgers and advertising.

1941: Karchers Purchase Hot Dog Cart

In 1941, Carl and Margaret Karcher purchased a hot dog cart in Los Angeles using borrowed and saved funds. They sold hot dogs, chili dogs, and tamales, along with soda from their cart.

1945: Karchers Open First Full-Service Restaurant

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

1946: Hamburgers Added to the 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, as smaller versions of Carl's Drive-In Barbecue.

1966: Company Incorporated as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.

In 1966, the company was incorporated as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.

1968: Major Expansion of the Chain Launched

In 1968, Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. launched a major expansion of the Carl's Jr. chain with a focus on 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. celebrated its success by building its Anaheim corporate headquarters.

1979: First Out-of-State Restaurant Opens

In 1979, Carl's Jr. opened its first out-of-state restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada, and by the end of the decade, sales exceeded $100 million.

1980: Company Hires 10,000th Employee

In 1980, Carl Karcher Enterprises hired its 10,000th employee, doubling its employee count in just three years.

1981: Carl Karcher Enterprises Becomes Publicly Held Company

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

1984: First Carl's Jr. Franchise

In 1984, Carl's Jr. was franchised for the first time and its menu expanded.

1988: Karcher Accused of Insider Trading

In 1988, Carl Karcher and his family were accused of insider trading by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and he later agreed to a settlement.

1991: First Entry into Mexico

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

1992: Don Karcher's Death

Following Don Karcher's death in 1992, a new management team was installed.

October 1, 1993: Karcher Removed as Chairman

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

1994: New Management Team Installed

In 1994, a new management team was installed at Carl Karcher Enterprises, headed by CEO William P. Foley II and President and COO Tom Thompson.

January 1997: Carl's Jr. pulls commercials featuring Dennis Rodman

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

1997: CKE Restaurants 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 Restaurants Acquires Santa Barbara Restaurant Group

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

2003: Hardee's Introduces Thickburger Line

In 2003, sister chain Hardee's followed Carl's Jr. in introducing the Thickburger line.

2003: Corporate Headquarters Relocation

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

May 2005: Carl's Jr. introduces "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger" with Paris Hilton advertisement

In May 2005, Carl's Jr. launched the "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger" with a television ad featuring Paris Hilton. In the commercial, Hilton is shown washing a Bentley automobile in a swimsuit and then eating the burger, saying "That's hot."

2005: Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Shakes Introduced

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

2005: Carl's Jr. launches marketing campaign featuring bikini-clad models

In 2005, Carl's Jr. launched a marketing campaign featuring bikini-clad models to target the "hungry, young guy" demographic. The advertisements were criticized for objectifying women, leading to calls for a boycott. CEO Andrew Puzder defended the campaign.

January 11, 2008: Death of Carl Karcher

On January 11, 2008, Carl Karcher, the founder of Carl's Jr., passed away at the age of 90 due to Parkinson's-related complications.

2008: Carl Karcher objects to sexualized advertising before his death

In 2008, before his death, Carl Karcher expressed his disappointment with the sexualized nature of Carl's Jr.'s advertising. He was reportedly heartbroken that the company he founded had adopted what he considered an amoral approach, having criticized CKE's campaigns previously during the 1990s.

July 2010: CKE Restaurants Acquired by Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings

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: Charbroiled Turkey Burgers Offered

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

2011: First Canadian Outlet

In 2011, Carl's Jr. entered the Canadian market with an outlet in Kelowna, British Columbia, later expanding to other locations in British Columbia.

2011: Made-From-Scratch Biscuits Introduced

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

September 2012: Chilliwack Outlet Opened

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

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. and Hardee's begin joint national advertising

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

2013: Vancouver Location

In 2013, Carl's Jr. opened a location in Vancouver.

January 2014: Abbotsford Outlet Opened

In January 2014, Carl's Jr. opened an outlet in Abbotsford.

September 2014: Ontario Outlets Opened

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

December 2014: All-Natural Burger Introduced

In December 2014, Carl's Jr. introduced the All-Natural Burger, featuring an all-natural, grass-fed, free-range beef patty without added hormones, antibiotics, or steroids.

January 2015: Carl's Jr. releases commercial featuring Charlotte McKinney for All Natural Burger

In January 2015, Carl's Jr. released an online commercial featuring model Charlotte McKinney to advertise its new All Natural Burger, set to air regionally during Super Bowl XLIX. The ad, featuring McKinney walking around a farmers' market, was met with mixed reactions, with some criticizing it for objectifying women.

January 2015: Vancouver Airport Location

In January 2015, a Carl's Jr. location opened at Vancouver International Airport.

April 2015: Toronto Locations

In March/April 2015, Carl's Jr. opened two more outlets in Toronto.

November 2015: 200th Restaurant in Mexico Opened

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, which was the fast food industry's first.

January 2016: Ontario Locations Shut Down

By January 2016, all Ontario Carl's Jr. locations were shut down, while 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) had a total of 3,664 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 38 foreign countries and U.S. territories, with both chains absent from New England.

June 2016: Charlotte McKinney's "Au Natural" ad debut garners over 4.5 billion media impressions

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

August 2016: First Location Opened in India

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, Entrepreneur listed Carl's Jr. as No. 54 on their Top Franchise 500 list, which ranks franchises based on financial strength, stability, and growth rate in the United States.

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

In March 2017, Carl's Jr. released a commercial introducing Carl Hardee Sr. (played by Charles Esten) to shift away from provocative ads and focus more on food, positioning itself as a competitor to Five Guys, Steak 'n Shake, and In-N-Out Burger. The campaign also modernized the logos for both Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.

September 2017: Hardee's Locations Re-branded to Carl's Jr.

In September 2017, CKE decided to re-brand its Poughkeepsie and Middletown, New York, Hardee's locations into Carl's Jr. to focus on lunch and dinner options for a Northeastern consumer base; however, both stores have since closed.

2017: CKE Restaurant Count and International Presence

As of 2017, CKE had 3665 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 39 foreign countries and U.S. territories, with Carl's Jr. present in numerous countries.

2018: Plans to Separate Identities of Hardee's and Carl's Jr.

In 2018, CKE Restaurants announced plans to try to separate the identities of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., despite operating essentially as one brand since 1997.

2018: CKE resumes separate campaigns for Hardee's and Carl's Jr.

In 2018, CKE resumed producing separate campaigns for their Hardee's and Carl's Jr. brands. Carl's Jr. launched "The Call of Carl's" campaign featuring the voice of Matthew McConaughey.

2018: Corporate Headquarters Moved to Tennessee

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

January 2019: Beyond Meat Patty Introduced

In January 2019, Carl's Jr. introduced a Beyond Meat patty to its menu, becoming one of the first large chain restaurants to offer a vegan-friendly patty.

March 2020: Indoor Dining Temporarily Abandoned

In mid-March 2020, all Carl's Jr. restaurants temporarily abandoned indoor dining due to the COVID-19 pandemic, offering drive-thru, pick-up, or take-away service instead.

August 2021: Master Franchise Agreement 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: Operations Continue in Russia

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

December 2023: Carl's Jr. Closed in Indonesia

In December 2023, Carl's Jr. Closed in Indonesia.

February 2024: Beyond Burger Removed From Menu

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

April 2024: Carl's Jr Has Not Issued A Press Release

As of April 2024, Carl’s Jr has not issued a press release indicating why this decision to remove the Beyond Burger was made.

May 2024: Carl's Jr. Coming to the United Kingdom

In May 2024, the Boparan Restaurant Group announced it would begin a master license agreement with Carl's Jr., bringing the chain to the United Kingdom.

July 2024: Carl's Jr. Reopened in Indonesia

In July 2024, Carl's Jr. Reopened in Indonesia under new management.

July 2024: Carl’s Jr Australia master franchisee goes into voluntary administration

In July 2024, the Carl’s Jr Australia master franchisee entered voluntary administration, leading to the immediate closure of 20 company-owned restaurants. Despite this, 4 company-owned and 25 independent stores continued to operate. The collapse was attributed to reduced spending, increased costs, and overly optimistic expansion. CKE Restaurants remained committed to expanding in Australia.

November 2024: Creditors elect to liquidate Carl's Jr Australia operator

In November 2024, creditors elected to liquidate the operator of Carl's Jr. Australia. While some stores were successfully sold to franchisees and most of the directly franchised stores reportedly survived, many branch-owned stores closed permanently or were leased to other operators. Despite this, there are plans for further expansion in Australia.

2024: Cage-Free Eggs Sourcing

In 2024, Carl's Jr. announced that it sources 100% cage-free eggs for its U.S. locations, following advocacy from animal welfare organizations.

2024: Vancouver Location Closed

In 2024, Carl's Jr.'s Vancouver location closed.

2025: Carl's Jr. closes in Singapore

As of 2025, Carl's Jr. had closed its locations in Singapore, but formerly had a presence there as well as in the Philippines and Thailand.

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