I had Carl’s Jr. for Dinner tonight, and was handed a card after ordering my food and much to my surprise. It said:
Carl N. Karcher, Founder of Carl’s Jr., Dies at 90
CARPINTERIA, Calif., Jan 11, 2008 — Carl Nicholas Karcher, 90, founder and chairman emeritus of the Carl’s Jr. (R) restaurant chain, passed away today at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Calif. of complications from Parkinson’s Disease.
A public vigil service and Rosary will be held Thurs., Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. and a Funeral Mass will be celebrated Fri., Jan. 18 at 11 a.m., both at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim. Hilgenfeld Mortuary is handling the arrangements for burial at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange on Sat., Jan. 19 at 11 a.m.
Karcher started his business on July 17, 1941 when he and his wife, Margaret, borrowed $311 on their Plymouth automobile and added $15 of their savings to purchase a hot dog cart in Los Angeles.
The hot dog cart proved successful and within a few years, Karcher owned and operated four more stands in Los Angeles. In 1945, the Karchers moved to Anaheim, Calif. and opened their first full-service restaurant, Carl’s Drive-In Barbeque. In 1956, Karcher launched the first two Carl’s Jr. restaurants in Anaheim and nearby Brea. They were so named because they were smaller versions of the original drive-in restaurant.