Milestone Hardee’s location opens in Al-Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabia

CARPINTERIA, Calif. - Saturday, April 25th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”), parent company of Hardee’s® and Carl’s Jr.®, has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its 300th restaurant in the Middle East. The new Hardee’s location will open April 21, 2015, in Al-Sinaiyah, King Fahd Street, Yanboa, Saudi Arabia, and will be operated by Al-Ahlia Restaurant Company, a subsidiary of longtime Hardee’s franchisee, the Americana Group.

“As one of our pioneering international licensees, the Americana Group continues to be an invaluable partner that has demonstrated deep knowledge, expertise and passion for developing the Hardee’s brand abroad,” said Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. “This milestone shows the strength of our brand and business offering while also providing a testament to the commitment of our international franchise partners and international consumers.”

The new Hardee’s location is the 100th in the Kingdom of Saudi. The Americana Group also operates Hardee’s restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Kazakhstan and Kurdistan. The Americana Group opened the Middle East’s first Hardee’s restaurant in Kuwait in June 1980. Fostering a successful 35-year relationship, CKE and the Americana Group anticipate continued growth in the Middle East.

“The opening of the 300th Hardee’s restaurant in the region is a very proud milestone for us in our history as a restaurant operator developing brands in the Middle East and as a partner with CKE,” said Marzouk Al Kharafi, Chairman at the Americana Group. “We look forward to many more successful years working with the international leadership team at CKE.”

“The extremely capable and seasoned team at Americana have been tremendous partners and friends of our brand for more than three decades,” said Ned Lyerly, president of international at CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. “Not only has Americana been instrumental in building our brand in the Middle East, their contribution to the success and growth of CKE internationally is highly valued. As we look toward a continued bright future with Americana, we thank them for their long-term partnership and congratulate them on this significant achievement.”

The opening of the 300th restaurant in the Middle East is part of CKE’s accelerated global expansion, which includes signed development agreements to open more than 1,000 new international restaurants. This includes increased momentum in the Americas, with growth in Latin America and Canada; in Asia, where CKE recently announced new franchise agreements to bring the Carl’s Jr. chain to Japan and India in 2015; and in Europe, where CKE operates restaurants in Denmark and Turkey. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 81 percent franchised, with international restaurants representing 18 percent of the system.

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s consistently out-deliver the competition in the U.S. and worldwide with a best-in-class franchise offering supported by one-of-a-kind, premium-quality menu selections such as charbroiled 100 percent Black Angus beef Thickburgers® and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™; superior service and a modern and innovative dining experience.

For more information on CKE franchise opportunities, please visit www.ckefranchise.com.

About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”) is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. Through its subsidiaries, CKE owns and licenses Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® quick-service restaurants. CKE operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s as one brand under two names acknowledging the regional heritage of both banners. CKE has a total of 3,554 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 34 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Known for its one-of-a-kind premium menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Thickburgers®, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ and Fresh Baked Buns, as well as an award-winning marketing approach, the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s brand continues to deliver substantial and consistent growth in the U.S. and overseas. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 81 percent franchised, with international restaurants representing 18 percent of the system. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.

About Americana Group

Americana is the Middle East's most successful group of companies operating consumer foods, restaurants, and food-related products. This amazing success story started out in Kuwait in 1964 with the establishment of a small trading company.

With time, more Americana restaurants, food companies, factories, and brands were established and a high growth rate was always maintained. Today, the group operates more than 1,500 restaurants with more than 35,000 employees across 17 countries between the Atlantic Ocean and Caspian Sea.

The Americana Group operates international franchises like Hardee’s, TGIF’s, Krispy Kreme, KFC and Pizza Hut. The Americana Group’s portfolio also includes a wide range of consumer foods, manufactured in 18 factories, in 5 different countries, and marketed across the region with well-known names like Americana Meat, Americana Cake, Farm Frites, California Garden, Koki, Green Land and much more. For more information about Kuwait Food Company, please visit www.Americana-Group.net.     

Contacts

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

Kathleen Bush, 805-745-7741

kbush@ckr.com

or

Coast Public Relations

Jeanne Hoffa, 949-233-5372

jeanne@coastprgroup.com

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