Carl’s Jr., the U.S.’s raunchiest burger chain, is coming to Ontario
If you recall seeing Paris Hilton gyrate in a swimsuit next to a soaped-up Bentley, you’re probably at least vaguely familiar with Carl’s Jr., the U.S. fast-food chain that launched an entire TV-commercial genre—coined “slutburger” by Gawker. (You may not recall that Carl’s sells hamburgers, or that its logo is a smiley-faced star, but that’s beside the point.)
Soon, you’ll be able to stage your own sexy interlude with a Western Bacon Six Dollar Thickburger. As reported in The Star, the burger chain is planning an Ontario expansion that will see 30 restaurants opening across the province in the next six years, including a Toronto outlet opening in 2014. (Whether we’ll also be treated to R-rated burger ads is still up in the air—for now, the company is sticking to advertising “via public relations and digital venues.”)
It will be interesting to see what kind of economic wiggle room a chain like Carl’s is going to find in the clogged arteries of the Ontario fast-food market. Ned Lyerly, the international VP at Carl’s Jr. parent company CKE Restaurant Holdings, is optimistic: “We’re not afraid of competition,” he told The Star. “We stay focused on what we do best.” Ah yes, the time-honoured business practice of getting hot chicks to seduce cheeseburgers.
