FRANKLIN, TENN.- Carl’s Jr. parent company, CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc., and CJ's QSR (Franchise) Group Pty. Ltd. have announced a franchise agreement to expand Carl's Jr.'s presence throughout Australia. The partnership continues CKE Restaurants' growth including the recent opening of its 1,000th international restaurant earlier this year in Spain.

“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with CJ's QSR as we expand across Australia and build upon the momentum that we've created with our Carl's Jr. fans since opening our first location in Bateau Bay,” said Mike Woida, president of CKE International. “CJ's QSR has shown incredible commitment and dedication to bringing our iconic burgers into the Australian community, as have our other Carl's Jr. franchise partners in the territory. CJ's QSR will continue to own, operate and expand their existing corporate restaurants while seeking to offer qualified Carl's Jr. sub-franchise candidates the opportunity to join our growing franchise community throughout Australia.”

The Carl’s Jr. brand has grown to nearly 30 restaurants throughout Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales since its introduction in 2016. With plans to grow the Carl's Jr. footprint in Australia with an additional 27 restaurants in the coming year, the master franchise agreement with CJ's QSR will further accelerate growth and build towards a goal of 200 restaurants over the next 10 years.

“The Board of CJ's QSR Group is delighted with our appointment as master franchisor for Carl's Jr. in Australia, and we are committed to grow the brand aggressively over the next ten years,” said Andrew Firn, managing director of CJ's QSR Group Pty. Ltd. “We are passionate about Carl's Jr. and have been buoyed by the appetite that exists in the Australian market for our Chargrilled Burgers. This decision reflects CKE's global ambitions, commitment to Australia and the desire for a rapid pace of expansion. There are so many opportunities for our brand to grow and we look forward to bringing a Carl's Jr. restaurant to all corners of the nation.”