Chapter+1

Benjamin Dobrowolski Main Focus: Outlines the life and business career of Carl Karcher, the founder of Carl Jr.'s, and connects his experiences to explain the nature of fast food start-ups and the underdog nature of these enterprises. "'I'm in business for myself now,' Carl thought, after buying the cart, 'I'm on my way." (15)
 * Chapter 1- Founding Fathers
 * Born in 1917, he grew up poor because his father was a sharecropper. Karcher dropped out of school after the 8th grade and worked on the farm for 12-14 hours a day. He moved to California after his uncle offered him a job in Anaheim, where he worked 76 hours a week. FAFA, DROPOUT, ANAHEIM
 * He met his future wife Margaret, and got married after he found a better paying job in Los Angeles driving a truck for a bakery.
 * He noticed the hot dog carts and how successful they were, and bought one with a loan from Bank of America for $311, and $15 from Margaret. HOT DOGS, BOA $311
 * He eventually made enough money to buy four hot dog carts. FOUR
 * Carl eventually started his own business called "Carl's Drive In Barbeque" in 1945, which boomed because of the post- World War II prosperity. CARL'S
 * Karcher, after seeing McDonald's, and losing business because of their new Speedee Service System, which increased food preparation speed and volume of sales, as well as reducing costs, started his own fast food restaurant, Carl's Jr. MCD'S, SPEEDEE
 * Carl's Jr. rapidly expanded, and in 1976, Carl Karcher Enterprises was built on the same land that Margaret was grown up on. CKE
 * Karcher's life took a downwards turn when the company started struggling, he was accused of insider trading by the SEC, his brother and trusted advisor don died, and he was badly in debt due to bad investments. He proposed a partnership with Green Burrito, who serviced Mexican foods, but it was struck down by the board of directors, because of the loan that Green Burrito would have given him. The board of directors than sent him packing through a vote in 1993, locking him out of his office. SEC, DON X, DEBT, GREEN BURRITO 6MIL X CKE, OUT
 * A few weeks after his dismissal, he engineered a takeover of the company with some financiers. They assumed some of Carl’s debt, got much of his stock, but gave Karcher his old office back. Karcher also retained high standing in the company; they followed his Green Burrito plan, which ended up being a huge success. Carl’s Jr. stock was again rising steadily. In 1997, they purchased Hardee’s, which made them the fourth largest hamburger chain in the United States. FOLEY, GREEN BURRITO OK, SUCCESS, HARDEE'S.
 * In closing, Schlosser ends with asking Karcher his philosophy towards life and what he now thinks of the developed Anaheim, compared to the rural town he started in. Karcher states that “My whole philosophy is—never give up…The word can’t should not exist…” (27). When asked if he missed the old rural Anaheim, he stated that “I believe in Progress… When I first met my wife, this road here (outside his office) was gravel…and now it’s blacktop.”(28)
 * Within the recounting of Karcher’s underdog story, Scholsser also tells about other start up stories, such as Harland Sanders- founder of KFC, Dave Thomas- founder of Wendy’s, among others. Additionally, it outlines the start-up of fast food restaurants in general.
 * “I looked out the window and asked how he felt driving through Anaheim today, with its fast food restaurants, subdivisions, and strip malls. ‘Well, to be frank about it,’ he said, ‘I couldn’t be happier.’ Thinking that he’d misunderstood the question, I rephrased it, asking if he ever missed the old Anaheim, the ranches and the citrus groves. ‘No,’ he answered ‘I believe in Progress.’ Carl grew up on a farm without running water or electricity. He’d escaped a hard rural life. The view outside his office was not disturbing to him, I realized. It was a mark of a success.” (28)

Pathos- Tells the underdog stories of the fast food startups. Allegory- Parallels Carl Karcher and other fast food entrepreneurs to the American Dream. Syntax- Used simple sentences to explain the complicated re-takeover of Carl’s Jr. “Foley became the new chairman of the board. Carl was named chairman emeritus and got his old office back. Almost all of the executives and directors who had opposed him subsequently left the company. The Green Burrito plan was adopted and proved a success.” (27) Reflections- Maybe if everyone held the attitudes of these entrepreneurs, America would be a better place. AMERICAN DREAM.