By Shermeen Alsadon

Carl N. Karcher is a foodservice pioneer who was born in 1917 on a farm near Upper Sandusky, Ohio. After eighth grade, Carl dropped out of school to work on the family farm. Later on, Carl moved from Ohio to Anaheim, California where he worked at his uncle’s feed and seed store. His uncle offered him $18 per week where Carl worked six days a week, 12 hours a day. Three years later, Carl was offered a job by one of his uncle’s customer who owned a bakery. He started as a bread wrapper at that store, and shortly after he was promoted to a sales and delivery position.

On November 30, 1939 Carl got married to Margaret Heinz. Their marriage lasted more than 66 years were they had 12 Children, 51 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren.

On July 17, 1941 Carl and Margaret purchased a hotdog cart for $326 (paid $15 from their saving and borrowed on his Plymouth Super Deluxe). As the business grew, Carl opened “Carl’s Drive-In Barbecue” in Anaheim, California on January 16, 1945. In 1956 the first “Carl’s Jr. Restaurant” was opened.

3, 000 restaurants and 30,000 employees worldwide

3,036 franchised and company operated restaurants in 43 states and 13 countries, including 1,121 “Carl’s Jr. Restaurants”, and 1,915 “Hardee’s Restaurants”

Dominican RepublicBrazilPuerto RicoDenmarkCosta RicaNew ZealandAustraliaSingaporeRussiaVietnamThailandTurkeyChina

Quality

A priority on restaurant fundamentals

Employee take pride in what they do

Quality ingredients make a difference

Innovation

Products are unmatched

Think outside the box

Technological advancements

Continuous Improvements

Remain relevant to the customers

CKE’s brands “Carl’s Jr.” and “Hardee’s” offer different, crave able fare prepared with quality ingredients that meet our exacting standards. Their attention is operational excellence, guest

service, and products improvement to keep guests coming back for more.

“Never Give Up”

“To be the best burger chain worldwide”

Carl was a devoted Catholic and a lifelong member of the Republican Party. He contributed heavily to anti-abortion groups. In 1978, he worked towards requiring public schools in California to fire any known gay or lesbian teachers. This initiative failed when former governor and soon-to-be President Ronald Regan came against it and calling the action too disturbing.

Carl was fined $688,000 for insider trading in 1988, after allegedly advising close family members of which stock in the company is best to buy. In 2002, a group of Carl’s Jr. employees sued the company stating that they were fired for complaining about racial discrimination from their bosses. The company ended up paying $255,000 to settle the case outside of the court. The company reached $9M in settlement after wrongly categorizing managers and general managers as excused from California’s wage and hour laws.

In 2005, Carl’s Jr. was accused of “Hamburger porn” after a television ad presenting a bikini wearing Paris Hilton eating a Carl’s Jr. Burger while washing a car in a supposedly salacious manner. Link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-qkoyiYs38

Throughout Carl’s journey he was awarded and honored 21 times. First award he received was the

Order of Malta when he was knighted in 1976. His last award was in 2007 where he was honored with a star on the Anaheim/Orange County Walk

of Stars as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community pillar.

Carl N. Karcher passed away in 2008 about a week from his 91st birthday, after a Parkinson’s

disease and a stroke effect that left him incapable of continuing a public life. Currently his legacy is

continuing through the empire he continued building throughout his life.

I admire that fact that with a eight grad education he was able to build an empire with $326. Also, he never gives up.

I am a fan of Carl’s Jr. burger and restaurant seating since I visited in Turkey with my family

He shows that nothing is ever impossible instead everything is possible with well and hard work

Carl N. Karcher, 90, Founder of Carl's Jr. Hamburger Chain, Is Dead. (2008, January 12). The New York Times. Retrieved , from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/business/13karcher.html?_r=0

Carl's Jr.?. (n.d.). bestbusinessfranchise.com. Retrieved , from http://www.bestbusinessfranchise.com/article-print-252.html

Fast Food Nation. (n.d.). Google Books. Retrieved , from http://books.google.com/books?id=dU13X_AM_N8C&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=what+was+carl+n+karcher+philosophy&source=bl&ots=DmVlVS1oKj&sig=yP1IcMvTTyJP87KF2AKqSkbmMF8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=z7BTU4KuO9fesASn9oKgCg&sqi=2&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=what%20was%20carl%20n%20karcher%20philosophy&f=false

Orange Coast Magazine. (n.d.). Google Books. Retrieved , from http://books.google.com/books?id=UhQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=what+was+carl+n+karcher+philosophy&source=bl&ots=oLGUW1_6wI&sig=Pr3DSvUHOJVYRXt7IXO2yf9NpPs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=z7BTU4KuO9fesASn9oKgCg&sqi=2&ved=0CGMQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=what%20was%20carl%20n%20karcher%20philosophy&f=false

. (n.d.). . Retrieved , from http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/OrangeCounty/obituary.aspx?n=Carl-Nicholas-Karcher&pid=101355351