CKE Restaurants
(Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®)
are World-Class
because their franchisees say they are!
The Company
CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (CKE), through its subsidiaries, franchisees, and licensees, is a global restaurant powerhouse that operates two of the most highly acclaimed quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands in the world. Carl’s Jr.® and sister brand Hardee’s® have built a reputation as iconic American classics with nearly 4,000 restaurants around the world. Carl’s Jr. features a rich history starting in California and telling a story of great food with innovative product development, bold brand positioning, compelling value and a proven and successful franchise system.
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s – World Class Franchises
- FRANCHISE-FRIENDLY BRANDS – YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS
- CHARGRILLED 100% ANGUS BURGERS THAT CONSUMERS CRAVE
- BEST-IN-CLASS MENUS THAT CONSISTENTLY OUT-DELIVER THE COMPETITION IN TASTE, QUALITY AND VALUE
- MULTIPLE DAY-PARTS AVAILABLE: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, SNACK, DINNER AND LATE-NIGHT
- COMPELLING UNIT ECONOMICS AND PROFITABILITY RATIOS
- INDUSTRY-LEADING TRAINING AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS
- CUSTOMIZED MARKETING SUPPORT
Fees and requirements:
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS
(PER RESTAURANT COMMITTED)
Net worth: $1,000,000 USD
Liquid assets: $300,000 USD
EXPERIENCE
Retail restaurant development experience preferred; international level restaurant operations experience preferred
MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENT
5 Restaurant minimum / varies by market
TERRITORY RESERVATION FEE
$10,000 USD per restaurant paid upon signing development agreement
FRANCHISE FEE
$37,500 USD (current 2021) per restaurant paid upon beginning construction
ROYALTY FEE
5% of gross sales
ADVERTISING SPEND
4% to 7% including international ad fund contribution
RESTAURANT SIZES
Express and Food court: 45m2 – 90m2 (common area seating)
In-line: 140m2 – 300m2 (45 to 90 seat count)
Free-standing: 232+m2
New post-Covid prototypes in development: 140+m2
TERM OF FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
20 years
FRANCHISE TRAINING
12 weeks for unit management / executive overviews available in shorter time frames for investors / CKE in-store teams onsite at opening first 2 restaurants
The Opportunity
Being a Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s Franchise
Ron Santolaya, Comercializadora de Alimentos Corachi SpA, Chile Operator in Mexico for 25 years, Franchisee in Chile since 2016
“I am proud to have been a part of CKE’s winning team for over 30 years! Carl’s Jr. really has great leadership, the best business practices and most importantly they support their franchise community. Here in Santiago, our guests love the brand, and we are excited to continue growing in Chile into the future.”
CKE is seeking …
- Generally we only award “Area Developer” franchises (meaning multi-unit franchises in specified regions or countries)
- In certain cases, we engage in “Master Franchising” but only with very sophisticated, large groups with an existing restaurant support infrastructure.
- We usually only franchise to restaurant companies with multiple units of non-competing brands. Sometimes a major private equity group qualifies or a holding company. We do not do single-unit franchising outside the US.
- We offer free-standing, drive-thru as well as inline and food court versions (including smaller “express units”) including new prototypes developed for the post-Covid environment.

