CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CKE Restaurants, Inc. today announced the opening of the first Carl’s Jr.® restaurant in Panama, located at the Tocumen Panama International Airport in Panama City. The restaurant is operated by International Meal Company Caribbean and Central America, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Meal Corporation S.A., the largest retail food concessionaire and multi-brand casual dining chain in Brazil with operations in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Panama.
With the opening in Panama, CKE now licenses Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s® restaurants in 20 countries.
“We are very excited to have International Meal Company Caribbean and Central America as a part of the CKE team. Latin America is a critical component of our international expansion goals and the premium hamburgers offered at Carl’s Jr. will be a perfect fit in these markets,” said Andrew F. Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants. “We currently have a very strong presence in Mexico and are well positioned for further expansion in Latin America.”
“The opening in Panama is also a milestone, marking the 20th country in which we operate,” added Puzder. “Our founder, Carl Karcher, started with one hot dog cart on a street corner in Los Angeles. Now, 70 years later, we’re operating restaurants in 20 countries. That sort of success is a testament to his legacy.”
“It is a great honor to bring Carl’s Jr. to the Panama market,” added Jose Algarin, CEO of International Meal Company Caribbean and Central America. “The premium products at Carl’s Jr. and their excellent service standards will deliver an ultimate dining experience to traveling consumers at the Tocumen Airport.”
Currently, CKE franchises 365 international restaurants between both its Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands. In addition to Panama City, Carl’s Jr. restaurants operate at the LA/Ontario International Airport in California, and the following airports in Mexico: General Mariano Escobedo International Airport, Monterrey; General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International Airport, Tijuana; Benito Juárez International Airport, Mexico City; Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport, Puerto Vallarta; General Rafael Buelna International Airport, Mazatlan. CKE will open additional restaurants at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif., and Los Angeles International Airport later this year. CKE continues to explore expansion opportunities in captured-audience locations, such as airports, as it expands to meet its strategic development plan to double its international presence within the next five years.
CKE Restaurants, Inc.
CKE Restaurants, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2011, CKE, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,159 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 20 countries, including 1,249 Carl's Jr.® restaurants and 1,899 Hardee's restaurants. For more information about CKE Restaurants, please visit www.ckr.com.
About Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr. is celebrating 70 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2011, CKE, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,159 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 20 countries, including 1,249 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,899 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Carl’s Jr. near you, go to www.carlsjr.com. Carl’s Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr, www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/carlsjr.
About International Meal Company Holdings, S.A.
International Meal Company Holdings, S.A. (IMC) is the largest retail food concessionaire in Latin America. It operates over 200 casual dining and fast food restaurants in Brazil, México, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Panamá. The Company was founded in 2006 and recently made an IPO in the Brazil stock market. It operates locations in highway plazas, airports and shopping centers, and employs over 8,000 people in the countries where it does business. For more information, visit www.internationalmealcompany.com.