TOKYO – CKE Restaurant Holdings Inc. has opened the first Carl’s Jr. restaurant in Tokyo. The restaurant will be operated by Carl’s Jr. Japan Inc., a subsidiary of Mistuuroko Group Holdings Co., Ltd. (MGHD).
“Carl’s Jr. fills a major void in the Japanese burger market,” said Kohei Tajima, CEO of MGHD. “There’s no other global burger chain that offers such premium and innovative menu items served with industry leading customer service.
“What’s more is the brand exudes a cool, youthful and edgy persona that will resonate with Japan’s burger lovers of all ages,” he added. “We are honored to open the first Carl’s Jr. in Japan and look forward to elevating the brand’s presence in the market over the next decade.”
The restaurant is the first of a multi-unit development agreement between CKE and MGHD to develop 150 Carl’s Jr. restaurants in Japan over the next 10 years. Restaurants are scheduled to open in Azabujyuban, Odaiba, Shibuya and Roppongi districts of Tokyo.
“Japan is the largest burger market in Asia and Japanese consumers are well known for their passionate enthusiasm for quality, great tasting food,” said Ned Lyerly, president, International at CKE. “The Carl’s Jr. brand and menu are perfectly positioned for Japan as we offer bigger, better tasting, chargrilled burgers served with high quality, fresh ingredients and best-in-class customer service.
“We partnered with the Mitsuuroko Group as our Master Franchisee in Japan to establish our brand across the country and we are confident in our collective ability to deliver to a superior level of guest satisfaction in our restaurants.”
