Carl Karcher

Carl Nicholas Karcher (born 1917) was the former owner of CKE Restaurants, Inc., a restaurant that specializes in hamburgers and hot dogs.

Carl Karcher and his wife Margaret started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941 in Los Angeles. On January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbecue in Anaheim.

Their restaurant quickly grew and they opened several more restaurants, numbering 100 by 1974 and more than 300 by 1981. He was the Chairman and CEO of the company.

He has been awarded the Horatio Alger Award for outstanding individual initiative and commitment to excellence while assisting those less fortunate.