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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Carl’s Jr Franchise

Carl’s Jr. is a quick-service restaurant franchise and a flagship brand of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., which also operates Hardee’s, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito. Founded in 1945 and franchising since 1984, the brand has grown to more than 1,700 locations, concentrated in the western United States with continued expansion across new states and Canada.

The brand sits at the premium end of the QSR segment, with a menu built around 100% Angus Beef Thickburgers, the Star Burgers lineup, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, and Hand-Scooped Real Ice Cream Shakes. Alongside standalone restaurant formats, Carl’s Jr. pursues co-branding in travel centers and convenience stores, often paired with sister brand Hardee’s.

CKE provides franchisees with national advertising infrastructure, ongoing product development from a dedicated culinary team, and technology investment including drive-thru AI partnerships and digital ordering. Franchisees operate primarily under multi-unit development agreements.

Latest Resales

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Why buy a Carl’s Jr Franchise?

Carl’s Jr. brings more than four decades of franchising history and national brand recognition to the QSR category. A national advertising program spanning digital platforms, loyalty apps, and regional co-ops supports franchisees with a marketing infrastructure that independent operators would need to build themselves. Buying a Carl’s Jr. franchise resale means entering an established system with brand equity already in place.

Existing resale units come with operational systems already in place, trained staff, and an established local customer base. Co-branding arrangements in travel centers and convenience stores open a non-traditional growth channel alongside sister brand Hardee’s. CKE’s premium ingredient approach — Angus beef, hand-breaded chicken, real ice cream shakes — provides pricing headroom over value-led QSR competitors.

Carl’s Jr Franchise Costs & Information

  • Minimum Qualifications

    • Initial Franchise Fee

      $25,000

    • Initial Investment

      $1,486,000 - $3,176,500

  • Royalty

    • Royalty Fee

      4%

  • Training & Support

    • 400 hours on the job training

    • 51 hours classroom training

    • Ongoing support

    • Marketing support

Carl’s Jr – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Carl's Jr. requires the operating principal and up to three managers to complete a 12-week Franchise Management Training Program (FMTP) at a certified training restaurant. Ongoing support includes franchise business consultants assigned to each location, phone and email assistance through the Franchise Services team, culinary and equipment guidance from a Restaurant Excellence team, and marketing support covering national advertising and local store strategies. Resale buyers should confirm with the franchisor what FMTP onboarding is available to incoming ownership.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Carl's Jr. looks for candidates with prior restaurant or franchise management experience; the brand prefers multi-unit operators and targets franchisees willing to build portfolios of three or more locations. The day-to-day model is staffing-intensive, requiring confident crew management, training oversight, and operational discipline across multiple restaurant sites. Absentee ownership is not permitted; the model suits an experienced, hands-on operator who can run a structured QSR environment.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Carl's Jr. has appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 for 18 consecutive years as of 2025, earning a place in the publication's Franchise 500 Hall of Fame. The brand ranked #123 overall in the 2024 Franchise 500 and was listed as the #8 burger franchise that year. Franchise Times ranked Carl's Jr. #42 in its 2025 Top 400, reflecting approximately $2.6 billion in system-wide annual sales. These recognitions reflect the brand's standing as a durable franchise system in the US QSR market.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US quick-service restaurant market was valued at approximately $301 billion in 2025, according to Custom Market Insights, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 5.6% through 2034, driven by demand for convenient dining, digital ordering adoption, and delivery platform growth. For resale buyers, an established QSR location benefits from existing customer traffic and brand recognition, making site quality, local competition, and unit-level sales history the key due diligence factors.

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