Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr. is a West Coast fast food institution founded by Carl Karcher in 1941, originally as a Los Angeles hot dog cart before evolving into a burger chain famous for its charbroiled patties. Signature menu items include the Famous Star, the Western Bacon Cheeseburger (introduced in 1984), and the Thickburger line, and the chain pioneered several industry firsts — including the first national fast food salad bar in 1977 and the first nationwide plant-based burger partnership with Beyond Meat in 2019. Today Carl's Jr. operates over 1,000 U.S. locations and serves customers in 28 countries worldwide.