Carl Karcher

Carl Nicholas Karcher (born January 16, 1917 on a farm near Upper Sandusky, Ohio), founded the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain, now owned by parent company CKE Restaurants, Inc..

Karcher was the son of Ohio natives Leo and Anna Maria (Kuntz) Karcher. Leo Karcher's grandparents had immigrated from Belgium; Anna Maria Kuntz was of German ancestry. Carl N. Karcher moved to Anaheim where his uncle ran a small business. He was hired by his uncle and worked for him for three years, later he dropped that job to work at a bakery as a delivery boy which doubled his salary monthly. He married Margaret Magdalen Heinz Karcher in 1939.

Karcher and his wife started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles, California when they borrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret's purse. The stand initially sold hot dogs and Mexican tamales. In January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbeque in Anaheim, California.

Their restaurant quickly grew and they opened several more restaurants, numbering 100 by 1974 and more than 300 by 1981. He served for a time as Chairman and CEO of the company.

He has been awarded the Horatio Alger Award for outstanding individual initiative and commitment to excellence while assisting those less fortunate.

His son, Jeromo Karcher who is a priest for the Orange County Diocese, has recently received the Man of Character Award by the Boy Scouts of America for creating mercy houses in Orange County for the homeless and those with AIDS.