CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”), parent company of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s®, has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 600th international restaurant location. Opened on June 23 by franchisee The Caspian International Restaurants Company, a division of Kuwait Food Company, the opening of the Astana, Kazakhstan-based Hardee’s demonstrates the brand’s continued momentum and popularity worldwide. Aggressive global expansion goals include 1,000 international Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s locations by 2017.
“Around this time last year we celebrated the opening of our 500th international restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia. In just over one year, we’ve grown our international portfolio by another 100 units, an incredible achievement that’s as much a testament to the strength of our brand and business offering as it is to the commitment of our franchise partners in developing Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s abroad,” said Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
The new Astana Hardee’s location is the 10th in the country and the 271st location operated by franchisee Kuwait Food Company and affiliates. Kuwait Food Company is a longtime partner with CKE developing the Hardee’s brand throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
The opening of the 600th restaurant in Kazakhstan follows recent openings of new international Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s locations this year in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Mexico, New Zealand, the Bahamas and the Middle East. With the opening of the new Kazakhstan restaurant, the CKE system is now 75 percent franchised, with international locations representing 17 percent of the system.
“We have an outstanding group of international franchise partners who play a pivotal role in the growth and success of our brand, and we are dedicated to helping them build strong, profitable restaurant businesses that are sustainable for the long term,” said Ned Lyerly, executive vice president of international at CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. “At CKE our mission is to provide a distinctive and superior level of satisfaction to our guests and stakeholders around the world. For our franchise partners this satisfaction includes ensuring that our franchise offering delivers an outstanding return on their investment in our brand. It’s this philosophy that has resulted in the accelerating growth of our international business including commitments from existing franchisees to build more than 900 international locations in the coming years.”
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s consistently out-deliver the competition in the U.S. and worldwide with a best in class franchise offering supported by one-of-a-kind, premium-quality menu selections such as charbroiled 100 percent Black Angus beef Thickburgers® and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™; superior service and a modern and innovative dining experience.
About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”) is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. Through its subsidiaries, CKE owns and licenses Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® quick-service restaurants. CKE operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s as one brand under two names acknowledging the regional heritage of both banners. CKE has a total of 3,491 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 31 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Known for its one-of-a-kind premium menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Six Dollar Thickburgers®, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ and Fresh Baked Buns, as well as an award-winning marketing approach, the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s brand continues to deliver substantial and consistent growth in the U.S. and overseas. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 75 percent franchised, with international restaurants representing 17 percent of the system. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.
