Carl’s Jr. closes Fresno restaurant, Visalia location as part of trend for company
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Fresno Carl’s Jr. at First and Shaw closed Saturday; signs were later removed.
- The Carl’s Jr. on Chinowth Street in Visalia has also closed; reasons unclear.
- At least 10 Carl’s Jr. locations, owned by a different franchisee, are slated to close.
A worker attacked a drive-thru menu board with a crowbar Thursday morning, removing the last bits of Carl’s Jr. branding from the restaurant at First Street and Shaw Avenue.
The restaurant closed Saturday.
All its signs and branding have been removed. Only the star-shaped bones of the sign that once held Carl’s Jr.’s smiling logo remain.
One of the fast-food restaurant’s locations in Visalia, on Chinowth Street near Highway 198, has also closed.
It was not immediately clear why.
Tax records show the Fresno location is owned by TWM/Fresno LLC, a franchisee. A woman who answered the phone at the company said no one was available to comment about the closure until next week.
Carl’s Jr. did not immediately return a message seeking comment about the closures.
The company – known for its Western bacon cheeseburger and edgy ad campaigns – still has a strong presence in the Fresno area with 16 locations in Fresno and Clovis.
It has two remaining restaurants in Visalia, and many more scattered around the central San Joaquin Valley.
Fast-food restaurants are closing
More Carl’s Jr. locations are closing.
The Carl’s Jr. at Blackstone and McKinley avenues closed earlier (it was later destroyed by fire). That closure stemmed from a city project using eminent domain to funnel traffic below the train tracks for safety reasons.
At least 10 of the Carl’s Jr. locations, owned by a different franchisee, are slated for closure, Fast Company reported in May. None are in the central San Joaquin Valley.
The news about the underperforming locations surfaced in bankruptcy filings for the large franchisee, which is selling 49 of its locations, mostly in Southern California.
The company blamed its financial struggles on increased competition, rising operating costs, shrinking sales and California’s $20 minimum wage for fast-food jobs, according to Fast Company.
Several other fast-food restaurants in Fresno have closed in recent months.
At least five KFC restaurants have closed since last year. Side-by-side KFC and Wendy’s locations in downtown Fresno closed, but were quickly backfilled by locally owned restaurants Smashville Burgers & Chicken and Aliberto’s Jr Mexican Food.
Starbucks closed four stores in Fresno.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries closed its location at the Marketplace at El Paseo in December.
Still, many chains are opening locations here too, including the new Chick-fil-A in Clovis and at least two new Taco Bells coming to the area.
Chipotle is also planning new restaurants in Fresno and Clovis.
