The California-born fast-food chain crushed by costs, crime and competition ^64.1%

Los Angeles Times - By Itzel Luna - 5/18/2026, 10:00 AM

Negativity Bias 37.3% - Hasty Generalization 11% - Self-Serving Bias 4.3%

Carl’s Jr. began in 1941 as a hot dog cart on the corner of Florence and Central in Los Angeles and grew into one of the region’s best-known burger chains. Eight decades later, the now-global chain is struggling in its old neighborhood. The high costs of doing business in California, festering labor issues, fierce competition and crime... more