Carl's Jr. – Fast-food restaurant chain

Brand origin and founding

Carl's Jr. was started by Carl N. Karcher (with his wife Margaret) as a small hot dog cart in 1941 in Southern California and later opened the first Carl's Jr. restaurants in the 1950s. (en.wikipedia.org)

Corporate structure and headquarters

Carl's Jr. is a brand operated under CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.; CKE manages the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's banners and maintains its corporate offices in Franklin, Tennessee while supporting a global network of franchised and company-operated restaurants. (ckr.com)

Ownership

The ultimate investor-owner is Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm. An affiliate of Roark acquired a majority stake in CKE in 2013, making Roark the ultimate financial owner of the Carl's Jr. brand (CKE remains the operating company). (prnewswire.com)

Manufacturing, sourcing, and operations

As a quick-service restaurant brand, Carl's Jr.'s products and supply chain are largely sourced and prepared locally at restaurant and regional supply levels; the brand originated in the United States and the largest share of corporate development and menu innovation has historically been U.S.-based, but restaurants and sourcing operate across many countries through franchise partners. (ckr.com)