Carl's Jr. signed an extensive development deal for the Houston market in 2009. The first of these units to open has since proved extremely fruitful for the company.
The newly opened Carl's Jr. in Houston set a record with $117,203 in sales during its opening week, topping the company's domestic and international sales mark. The previous top-grossing opening for Carl's Jr., $115,536, was also in Texas and was set in November 2009.
"We knew the people of Houston were excited for the opening of its first Carl's Jr., but this surpassed our expectations," said Andrew F. Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc., parent company of Carl's Jr. "Texas has been our priority for growth for the past several years and we are thrilled with the results we've seen there. Texas is a great place to do business and, as our results in Houston show, Texans love our big, delicious burgers and Made From Scratch Biscuits."
The Houston Carl's Jr. opened for business Jan. 14. The first Carl's Jr. in Houston is the 38th restaurant in the state of Texas and employs 65 full- and part-time workers.
The record-setting crew is led by vice president Jim Bitticks, district manager Ruth Bentley and general manager Joanna Guzman.
"I'm proud of our Houston crew," added Puzder. "They were able to deliver the premium-quality food we're famous for along with great customer service to what seemed like the entire city of Houston that first week. It's an amazing start for a brand-new market."
CKE Restaurants will continue focusing on Texas for both company-operated and franchise expansion, with plans to have 350 Carl's Jr. restaurants open throughout the Lone Star State by the end of the decade. Upcoming Carl's Jr. openings in Texas include Austin and Waco on Jan. 31, followed by another Houston unit in March.
