Shop Talk

Why Carl’s Jr is happier in L.A.

Here’s another reason to love L.A.

The city’s downtown business district is home to the only Carl’s Jr restaurants that serve beer.

“We market to the young, hungry male. He’s also thirsty,” said Julie McLean, a spokeswoman for the chain, which has used controversial celebrities like Paris Hilton to push its generously-portioned, indulgent hamburgers.

Jennifer McGrath, the marketing manager whose region includes the three beer-serving L.A. restaurants, said happy hour specials have boosted business at those restaurants.

The company said the restaurants inherited their liquor licenses from previous tenants and that the chain has no plans to add beer at its other outlets.

“We don’t plan on adding alcohol sales to any locations at this time,” McGrath said.

Full-service hamburger chains like Red Robin and regional operators like Counter and Smashburger offer beer and wine, but big boys like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, In-N-Out and Five Guys do not.

Carl’s Jr CEO sees gold in Lone Star state

Andy Puzder, chief executive of Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s parent CKE Restaurants, is not a man to mince words and on Thursday he shared his views on “socialist type” state governments in California and Oregon.        Many of the company’s Carl’s Jr restaurants are located in the Golden State, and Puzder has plans to lessen that exposure over time. 

“As such, we’re targeting a large percentage of our growth in Texas. It is deemed to be more business friendly,” Puzder told analysts on a conference call.        “Oregon has a higher minimum wage and a similar regulatory structure as California and also has a similar socialist type government at the state level so business there actually can be as bad or worse than California,” he said.        “Texas is doing really well,” he added.

(Photo\Reuters)