Carl's Jr. continues its focus on its expansion in Texas with the announcement of two franchise agreements that will bring an additional 31 Carl's Jr. restaurants to the state over the next nine years.
CKE Restaurants Inc., Carl's Jr. parent company, has announced that Frontera Star Foods has committed to opening 20 units in the Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen and Harlingen areas in Southeast Texas. The second franchisee, Burger Barons, has agreed to open 11 units throughout the Waco, Killeen, Temple, College Station and Bryan communities in the state. Both franchisees are new members of the Carl's Jr. franchise community.
Frontera Star Foods, based in Tampico, Mexico, is owned by Juan Alvarado, Juan Garza and Gonzalo Ruiz. They bring a background in construction and retail development. Burger Barons is based in Austin, Texas, and owned by Monica and Mark von Waaden and Keith Isbell, who are current franchisees of 10 Panera Bread restaurants in Houston.
"Texas continues to be a priority for CKE's expansion, and we are proud to have two strong franchise entities join us in the Lone Star state," said Andrew F. Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants. "As our unit count in Texas grows, so does the demand for our big, delicious burgers. In fact, the November opening in Leon Valley, Texas, was the highest grossing first week in the history of the company. I hope we see that record change hands a few more times this year."
Carl's Jr. has seen significant expansion in Texas over the past year for both the franchise community and the company. There are currently 34 Carl's Jr. restaurants open in Texas (27 franchised, seven company owned), with an additional 352 units (252 franchise, 100 company) planned over the coming decade.
