American fast food chain Carl’s Jr. is looking to crack the Australian market with a goal of opening 300 stores in the next 10 to 15 years.
The burger chain already has reached sales records in New Zealand, opening eight stores in the past 18 months. Australia’s extension to the company’s global footprint will help double the chain’s international presence to more than 1,000 restaurants in the next five years.
Following a visit to Australia to meet with potential franchise partners, Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, said the global expansion is at the helm of Carl’s Jr’s plans.
“Australia is a highly attractive market for Carl’s Jr. Our research shows that the strong economy here, combined with our positioning and premium food offering complement what we’ve seen in New Zealand,” he said.
“The quick service restaurant sector here is growing rapidly, presenting a great opportunity for us and the response from potential partners has been very positive.
“We also believe that there’s a real appetite for Carl’s Jr. amongst not only our target 18 – 34 year old male audience, or as we call them, ‘young hungry guys,’ but also everyone in Australia who aspires to be young. To satisfy this appetite we will offer our premium products, such as our wide variety of fresh, big and delicious charbroiled burgers that lead the industry in taste, quality and innovation.”
Carl’s Jr., the flagship chain of CKE Restaurants, is seeking bold and entrepreneurial franchise partners to develop and operate franchise territories in Australia.