Carl Karcher Already Spinning in His Grave

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Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Gunkist Memories

January 13, 2008 11:34 AM

Permalink | Comments (2)

Anaheim burger titan Carl Karcher died on Friday (look for our obit in this Thursday's edition of your favorite fish wrapper), and how does the company he founded honor the man? By unveiling a stupid commercial for its breakfast burrito. Hey, pendejos: the long lines on the United States-Mexico border are those leaving Mexico, not entering. And those shots you used of long lines? Totally Tijuana. More importantly: BRING BACK THAT JUNIOR CHEESEBURGER WITH THE GOOD SAUCE YOU MADE BACK IN THE EARLY 1990s!!!!!!!!

Comments (2)

OCLatino says:
January 13, 2008 12:07

Hey Gustavo,

The commercials can't be directly linked to, so your link goes to a Portobello Mushroom burger, which is presently the default first run commercial.

And they have a tribute to Anaheim's great Catholic capitalist employer of La Raza Cósmica - on the web site: http://www.carlsjr.com/company/karcher

WARNING: The music in the tribute is understandably maudlin.

But the text is interesting, you read that:

Today, the business that began with that first hot dog cart has grown to include more than 3,000 restaurants, and 30,000 employees worldwide.

CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,036 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 43 states and in 13 countries, including 1,121 Carl's Jr.® restaurants, 1,915 Hardee's® restaurants.

And it all began in our sweet County of Orange...

Dean Whinery B. says:
January 13, 2008 19:07

Well, actually, OCLatino,
It started in the streets of South Central Los Ángeles. My father would get off the "S" car a couple of blocks from home and buy chili from Carl and his pushcart. When I was old enough, I sold newspapers in front of his stand...wearing a paper hat, he'd serve chilidogs on a little paper tray for 12 cents.
He didn't open in OC until 1945.
Whatever else his detractors might have said of him, he did build a rags to riches business. The company press release tell of some 3,000 Carl's Jr. locations across the country, but seemed to overlook those in northern México; one of the most beautiful is the pride of Nuevo Laredo.

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