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Carl’s Jr.® Opens First Restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand
July 26, 2011 · 1 Comments
CARPINTERIA, Calif.– (www.hospitalitybusinessnews.com) –CKE Restaurants, Inc. today announced the opening of its first Carl’s Jr.® restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand. This is the first of many Carl’s Jr. restaurants planned to open in New Zealand over the next five years. The restaurant is operated by Forsgren NZ Limited, a family business owned by Carl’s Jr. operator Barry Forsgren and his brother-in-law Michael Jones, former star of New Zealand’s national rugby team All Blacks.
“New Zealand is a great market for CKE’s continued international growth and a good fit for the Carl’s Jr. brand,” said Andrew F. Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc. “Forsgren NZ’s expertise in the market, understanding of customer satisfaction and commitment to premium quality in all aspects of the business should prove to be a successful combination in our newest market.”
“It is our great honor to introduce Carl’s Jr. into the New Zealand market and raise the standard of hamburger dining in the region by offering a restaurant-quality menu in a mature quick-service restaurant setting,” said Barry Forsgren, managing director of Forsgren NZ Limited. “We are confident that our delicious food and inviting environment will stand out among the competition and will win the hearts and taste buds of New Zealand consumers.”
“Carl’s Jr. has long been one of my favorite brands and I am sure it will be for many hungry New Zealanders who try it,” said Michael Jones, one of the most widely recognized sports icons in New Zealand and a shareholder in the family business of Forsgren NZ Limited. “We believe Carl’s Jr. will become the burger of choice for consumers looking for high-quality food in an up-market environment at quick-service prices.”
CKE Restaurants has strategic development plans to double its international presence to more than 700 restaurants within the next five years. Currently international units comprise approximately 12% of the CKE system with plans to grow to 20% in the next five years.
Carl’s Jr. is celebrating 70 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of Q1 fiscal 2012, CKE, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,182 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 23 countries, including 1,262 Carl’s Jr. restaurants and 1,909 Hardee’s® restaurants
By erichertha