Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Carl Karcher Enterprises Current: Founder and Chairman Emeritus (Deceased) – Anaheim, California
After terminating his formal schooling at the eighth grade to help on the family farm, Carl N. Karcher purchased a hot dog cart in Los Angeles for $326 ($15 cash and a $311 bank loan on his Plymouth). After expanding to four hot dog stands, Carl and Margaret Karcher opened their first full service restaurant, a drive-in barbecue, in Anaheim, California in 1945. The first two Carl’s Jr. restaurants (named for their smaller size) opened in 1956. Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. was formed in 1966, and expansion from a base of 25 restaurants was launched in 1968 to the present operation including over 400 restaruants, sales in the $300 million range, over 10,000 employees, public ownership of the company, and a continuing reputation for innovation, efficiency, nutrition and quality. Mr. Karcher is an active leader in over 20 educational, civic, cultural, religious, health, political and chamber of commerce groups. “We should dedicate ourselves to become involved in our great country’s system. Don’t take it for granted…there is nothing that supersedes the free enterprise system.”
