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"Bright Star is an essential part of the CKE Restaurants family and has done an excellent job of establishing the Carl's Jr. brand in the Russia market,"

CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bright Star, LLC, master franchisee and operator of Carl's Jr. restaurants in Russia, is pleased to announce that they have been granted the rights to subfranchise Carl's Jr. restaurants throughout the Russia market. Bright Star, which currently operates 28 Carl's Jr. restaurants in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk, Russia, opened their first Carl's Jr. restaurant in St. Petersburg in 2006 and plans to open additional Carl's Jr. locations throughout this year. Bright Star has experienced great success introducing the Carl's Jr. brand to the Russia market ahead of most of their competitors. With the introduction of subfranchise rights, brand growth will accelerate rapidly in the months and years ahead.

"We are pleased to announce our plan to subfranchise Carl's Jr. throughout the Russia market," said Evgeny Mikhienko, CEO of Bright Star, LLC. "Over the last seven years, we have built a solid team that has succeeded in establishing Carl's Jr. as the place to go for premium, great tasting burgers. We are currently working to bring the Carl's Jr. brand to Saratov and Nizhnevartovsk and have aggressive plans to open Carl's Jr. restaurants throughout Russia."

"Bright Star is an essential part of the CKE Restaurants family and has done an excellent job of establishing the Carl's Jr. brand in the Russia market," said Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. "Bright Star's passion for the brand coupled with their strong knowledge of the foodservice market makes them the perfect partner to expand the Carl's Jr. brand in Russia."

With a focus on premium-quality products, bigger, better charbroiled burgers and industry-leading customer service, Carl's Jr. and its iconic, smiling Happy Star® logo have been U.S. West coast favorites for more than 70 years. Industry pioneer Carl N. Karcher and his wife, Margaret, using $15 in savings and borrowing $311 on their Plymouth automobile, purchased a single hot dog cart in 1941 in Los Angeles, Calif. The Karchers grew their small business to include four hot dog carts and opened Carl's Drive-In Barbecue in 1945. They eventually launched the first Carl's Jr. restaurant, so named because it was a smaller version of their sit-down restaurant, in 1956. From a lone hot dog cart, Carl's Jr. has grown to 1,369 units worldwide.

Currently, CKE franchises 500 international restaurants between both its Carl's Jr. and Hardee's® brands, in 28 foreign countries and U.S. territories. The company has strategic development plans to double its international presence within the next five years.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2013, the Company, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,318 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 28 foreign countries and U.S. territories worldwide, including 1,369 Carl's Jr.® restaurants and 1,944 Hardee's® restaurants. For more information about CKE Restaurants Holdings, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.

About Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr.is celebrating more than 70 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1941 is today a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2013, the Company, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,318 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 28 foreign countries and U.S. territories worldwide, including 1,369 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,944 Hardee's® restaurants. For more information, or to find a Carl's Jr. near you, go to www.carlsjr.com. Carl's Jr. social media sites include www.facebook.com/carlsjr, www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/carlsjr. Information on CKE Restaurants can be found at www.ckr.com.

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