Carl Karcher, left, with daughter Anne Marie, and one of his
company’s first employees at “The Blimp,” his first hot dog
stand in Los Angeles.

 
Carl’s Drive-In

Carl N. Karcher and his wife, Margaret, made a leap of faith in 1941 when they
borrowed $311 on their Plymouth automobile, added $15 in savings and bought 
a hot dog stand. In less than five years, Carl’s Drive-In Barbecue (above) opened
with hamburgers on the menu. Later, smaller versions of this restaurant called
”Carl’s Jr.” opened. Prior to the restaurant business, Karcher had worked as a
delivery boy for a bakery based in Anaheim.

Carl Nicholas Karcher (January 16, 1917 – January 11, 2008)

Carl Karcher behind a hot dog cart in front of his headquarters in Anaheim, California, 1981.