Carl’s Jr., known in the US for their delicious burgers and fries, is finally set to open its first British restaurant in Cardiff, with the chain planning to open another 100 stores by 2029.
Carl’s Jr., dubbed to be McDonald’s is to open its first restaurant in the UK on April 3rd. Cardiff has been selected as its inaugural site, and a second store will open in southern England sometime during the summertime. There are plans to open 100 restaurants nationwide within the next four years.
David Moffat, who’s behind the UK expansion as country manager, told Restaurant Online: “We’re looking at a sturdy rollout with a target of 100 restaurants plus in four years.”
“We’ll open a number of corporate stores that we’ll retain as we go along and we’ll also going into the sub franchise market, which we hope to begin actioning towards the end of the year.”
Founded in 1941 in Los Angeles, Carl’s Jr. has over 1,000 stores in the United States and 28 other countries. The restaurant is said to be the “hangover cure”, and it’s widely popular for its meat and veggie-packed burgers, sandwiches and breakfast burritos.
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Satnam Leihal, chief executive officer of the Boparan Restaurant Group, said last year: “Carl’s Jr.’s international success is a testament to its fantastic food quality and innovative approach.”
“We are excited to bring the ‘Eat Like You Mean It’ experience, born in California, to the UK. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering exceptional dining experiences.”
There are a variety of burgers available, from their classic Famous Star, which is available in single, double or triple. For those who are vegetarian, there’s also the zucchini (courgette) burger. There are also some unique drinks, which include the Tropicali Refresher and the Blood Orange Baller, an orange-flavoured bubble tea.
The UK menu hasn’t been launched yet, but it’s said to be nothing like the US one and to focus primarily on staple items. But to celebrate, they will give out free burgers to the first 100 customers on opening day.
While plans for Carl’s Jr. to take over the rest of the UK remain under wraps, many took to social media, particularly X (previously known as Twitter) to express their love for the brand, claiming it tasted better than McDonald’s.
A user tweeted: “Getting fat from eating too much Carl’s Jr just feels cleaner than McDonald’s I can’t explain it but it’s true,” with a second one saying: “Personally, I don’t find McDonald’s food better than functional. Carl’s Jr, on the other hand, actually has tasty burgers.”
“I ate Carl’s Jr for the first time. It was really delicious. Far better than McDonald’s, though a little expensive,” a third one added. Another user wrote: “Carl’s Jr burger tastes better than McDonald’s burger.”