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CARL'S JR. OPENS FIRST RESTAURANT IN SHANGHAI, CHINA
CKE Restaurants On Pace to Double International Presence In Next Five Years
09.03.2009 – CARPINTERIA, Calif. – September 3, 2009 – CKE Restaurants, Inc.
(NYSE: CKR) today announced the opening of its first Carl's Jr.® restaurant in
Shanghai, China. This marks the first of more than 100 Carl's Jr. units planned in
the municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, and the provinces of Zhejiang
and Jiangsu over the next eight years. In China, Carl's Jr. is operated by Star Food
F&B Management Co. Ltd., a joint venture between SGX-listed BreadTalk Group
Limited, a leading lifestyle food and beverage group, and Aspac F&B International
Pte Ltd, the current Carl's Jr. franchisee in Singapore and Malaysia.
CKE Restaurants' entry into the People's Republic of China is part of a strategic plan
to accelerate franchise development in international markets and grow the system
as a whole. The new restaurant opening in Shanghai is part of the first phase in the
company's expansion efforts in China where it sees potential for more than 1,000
restaurants over time. Currently, CKE licenses 332 international restaurants
between both its Carl's Jr. and Hardee's® brands, and plans to double its
international presence to more than 665 restaurants within the next five years.
"We are pleased to announce the opening of our first restaurant in China and the
initiation of our franchise relationship with Star Food F&B Management Company
Ltd.” said E. Michael Murphy, president of CKE Restaurants, Inc., who attended the
opening. “This is a very exciting development for our company since China
represents a tremendous growth opportunity. Consumers in China have yet to
experience the kind of premium-quality burgers that Carl's Jr. has to offer, and our
strong success in other Asian countries proves that the market is ready for them.
The strength of our brand matched with Aspac's operating experience with Carl's Jr.
in Singapore and Malaysia, along