Margaret Karcher
| Margaret Karcher | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 2, 1915 Big River, Wisconsin, United States |
| Died |
June 6, 2006 (aged 91) Scottsdale, Arizona, United States |
| Cause of death | liver cancer |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) |
Carl Karcher (1939–2006, her death) |
Margaret Magdalen Heinz Karcher (March 2, 1915 – June 6, 2006) was an American fast-food pioneer who co-founded the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain with her husband Carl Karcher, which in turn now owned by parent company CKE Restaurants.
Karcher and her husband started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles, California when they borrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret's purse. The stand initially sold hot dogs and Mexican tamales. On January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbecue in Anaheim, California. They also opened Carl's Jr.
Their restaurant quickly grew and they opened several more restaurants, numbering 100 by 1974 and more than 300 by 1981.
External links
- Margaret Karcher, wife of Carl's Jr. founder, dies at 91 (CKE Restaurants press release)