CKE Restaurants, Inc. Partners with Oinke to Streamline Financing for New and Existing Franchisees

CKE Restaurants, Inc. announced today that its wholly owned subsidiaries, Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. and Hardee's Food Systems, Inc, owners and franchisors of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants, respectively, have partnered with Oinke, LLC to provide a powerful business workflow tool and online access to third-party financing for their new and existing franchisees. According to Craig Hopkins, vice president of Franchise sales for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, prospective franchisees regularly visit www.ckr.com/franchise to investigate a Carl's Jr. or Hardee's franchise. "While on the site, they can utilize the vast resources of Oinke to find the right lender for their particular needs," he explained. "They simply fill out one form and upload all other necessary documents into their secure private VAULT. They can then get proposals from multiple lenders for all types of loans. It's really a timesaver and allows them more time to focus on their efforts to secure a franchise territory."

More than 160 lenders participate in the process, and Oinke's technology offers borrowers a secure, paperless "VAULT" in which to upload and store their financial request information. The VAULT has 24/7 access and allows either franchisee lenders and/or lenders within Oinke's nationwide lender network to view the information and then submit proposals.

Carl's Jr. Restaurant franchises are available in major markets West of the Mississippi, with the exception of Southern California. Hardee's Franchises are available in the East and Southeast. Carl's Jr. and Hardee's franchises are available to those prospective franchisees who meet certain financial and experience requirements. The companies are looking for prospective franchisees interested in multi-restaurant territories.