Carl’s Jr.

About Carl’s Jr.

Carl’s Jr. began in California in 1941 when Carl and Margaret Karcher established the business that later developed into the Carl’s Jr. restaurant chain. Its menu features Angus beef burgers, hand-scooped ice cream shakes and hand-breaded chicken tenders. The brand reports more than 1,000 restaurants across 28 markets worldwide, including around 79 in Europe. In 2024, Boparan Restaurant Group secured the exclusive master licence to develop and franchise Carl’s Jr. across the UK and Ireland. Its first UK restaurant opened at St David’s in Cardiff in April 2025, with further sites identified in Swansea, Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, York and Leeds. The company seeks experienced multi-unit operators and provides support covering property assessment, restaurant design, construction, training, launch, marketing, quality assurance and supply chains.

Why franchise with Carl’s Jr.

• ✓An established American burger brand with more than 1,000 restaurants across 28 global markets.
• ✓Signature Angus beef burgers, hand-scooped shakes and hand-breaded chicken tenders define the menu.
• ✓Food court, in-line and free-standing formats provide flexibility across different property types.
• ✓Pre-opening support covers site evaluation, restaurant design, equipment and construction.
• ✓Twelve weeks of unit management training helps operators prepare teams for restaurant opening.
• ✓Post-opening field support includes marketing, product development, quality and supply chains.

Investment breakdown

Franchise fee	$37,500
Management service fee	5% of gross sales, paid monthly
Marketing contribution	4%-7% advertising spend
Agreement term	20 years - applicability to UK to be confirmed

What's expected of a franchisee

Property requirements

Carl’s Jr. offers several restaurant formats: food court units of 60-90 sq m, in-line restaurants of 140-300 sq m and free-standing sites of at least 232 sq m. The franchisor supports real estate evaluation, restaurant design, equipment ordering and construction. Its UK debut opened in Cardiff’s St David’s shopping centre in April 2025. Site selection, layout and final property requirements are subject to approval by the relevant development partner.

Training and support

Carl’s Jr. provides a 12-week training programme for unit management. Before opening, support covers real estate evaluation, restaurant design, equipment ordering, construction, comprehensive training and grand-opening operations. After launch, franchisees receive field-team assistance, product innovation, marketing and advertising, quality assurance and supply-chain management. The exact delivery arrangements for UK sub-franchisees should be confirmed with the master licensee.

Operational requirements

Carl’s Jr. franchisees operate quick-service restaurants serving Angus beef burgers, hand-scooped shakes and hand-breaded chicken tenders. The business seeks multi-unit development, generally involving at least five restaurants, although requirements vary by market. Operators are expected to maintain food quality, service and brand standards, manage teams and follow approved supply-chain procedures. The reported royalty is 5% of gross sales, with advertising spend of 4%-7%.

Experience required

Carl’s Jr. prefers partners with retail restaurant development experience and international restaurant operations expertise. The reported minimum financial qualifications are net worth of US$1 million and liquid assets of US$300,000. Multi-unit development is sought, typically with at least five restaurants, although requirements vary by market. Unit management training lasts 12 weeks. Applicants should confirm UK-specific criteria with Boparan Restaurant Group.

Territory availability