Groceteria.com

With the passing of Carl's Jr. founder Carl Karcher,

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/ ... obituaries

I noticed in the aforementioned obit that the chain attempted to launch a few other brands. All failed.

Carl's Whistle Stop Cafes
Scot's Coffee Shops
Taco de Carlos

Can't find anything on the first two chains. Yet, did find info on Taco de Carlos:

http://www.octhen.com/2007/12/taco-de-c ... ory-of.htm - 13k

I remember the location at Beach Blvd and Lambert, in La Habra CA. The Carl's Jr. is still on the corner. The Taco de Carlos next door became Del Taco...and still is.

Any further info on these affiliated chains would be interesting...

According to a 1973 LA Times article, there were 2 Scot's Family Restaurants which were sold and 3 Carl's Whistle Stop that were converted to Carl's Jrs. All I could find was a 1966 classified ad with the address of one of the Whistle Stops as 120 S. Harbor, La Habra.

The Taco de Carlos logo was the Happy Star wearing a sombrero. There were 16 of them in 1981 when 12 of them were sold to Del Taco.

runchadrun wrote:According to a 1973 LA Times article, there were 2 Scot's Family Restaurants which were sold and 3 Carl's Whistle Stop that were converted to Carl's Jrs. All I could find was a 1966 classified ad with the address of one of the Whistle Stops as 120 S. Harbor, La Habra.

The Taco de Carlos logo was the Happy Star wearing a sombrero. There were 16 of them in 1981 when 12 of them were sold to Del Taco.

thanks, as always, Chad!

There is a pix of the Star with the sombrero on the site I listed.

Checked the Carl's site...to see if the 120 South Harbor location was currently a Carl's. It is not listed as such. I will try to stop by in the future and see what's there.

I remember that Carl's was the first (at least in SoCal) to have all-you-can-drink refills. Their BEVERAGE BAR was a hit...and all the other chains followed.

120 South Harbor Comes up as a Kings Auto Sale. Looking at Live Local, the site is small and couldnt be a restaurant, unless it took the address for Harbor, and the building is that one in the back off La Habra Bl.

I remember a Tacos de Carlos location on Mountain Ave. in Ontario. It was just south of the Carl's Jr. location. Located on the west side of Mountain between 5th and 6th street, just north of the old Target/Fedmart/Whitefront building.

RandallFlagg wrote:I remember a Tacos de Carlos location on Mountain Ave. in Ontario. It was just south of the Carl's Jr. location. Located on the west side of Mountain between 5th and 6th street, just north of the old Target/Fedmart/Whitefront building.

On Saturday I stopped at this Carls Jr. The former Tacos De Carlos site is now an empty lot. It must have been torn down the last year or two, since you can see it on Live Local.

Throughout the late 70s and early 80s there was a very small Carl's Jr. at 120 S. Harbor. Just south of the gas station at the corner of Harbor and La Habra Blvd. The building was demolished for a used car lot about the same time a new Carls was built about a mile south near Harbor and Imperial.
I remember the beverage bar, a salad bar, and most of all the thick crinkle cut fries.

OCRedCub wrote:Throughout the late 70s and early 80s there was a very small Carl's Jr. at 120 S. Harbor. Just south of the gas station at the corner of Harbor and La Habra Blvd. The building was demolished for a used car lot about the same time a new Carls was built about a mile south near Harbor and Imperial.
I remember the beverage bar, a salad bar, and most of all the thick crinkle cut fries.

Its at Lambert and Harbor to be exact.

I think you're mistaken. The Carl's on the other (west) side of La Habra is on the corner of BEACH and Lambert. On the east side there was a Carl's on Harbor just south of La Habra Boulevard. And another one near Imperial Highway and Harbor (which is technically Fullerton, I believe).

Yep, I was thinking Beach. You're right.

Sometime in the late seventies, Karcher built a new restaurant for his So. Mission Viejo store at 26241 Avery Pkwy. It's now a Del Taco. I was impressed with their product, so much so that I wrote Karcher a letter telling him just that. I got a personal reply back from him with a handful of free food coupons included.

Too bad they couldn't make a go of it. Their food was head and shoulders above DT and TB.