Carl Nicholas Karcher (January 16, 1917 in Upper Sandusky, Ohio – January 11, 2008 in Fullerton, California)[1] was an American businessman, founder of the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain, now owned by parent company CKE Restaurants, Inc.
Restaurant business[edit]
Karcher and his wife started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles, California when they borrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret's purse.The stand initially sold hot dogs and Mexican tamales. On his 28th birthday, January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbecue, in Anaheim
Their restaurant quickly expanded, with the restaurants numbering 100 by 1974 and over 300 by 1981. Karcher served as chairman and CEO of the company until its own board of directors voted him out in 1993 after years of infighting over strategy.
Karcher objected to the sexualized nature of the Carl's Jr. ad campaigns of the 2000s, and was said to have been "heartbroken that a company he founded on Christian principles has taken such an amoral act."
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