His Friend’s Death Leaves Karcher as Last of a Breed
OC INSIDER
by Rick Reiff
Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, who died last week at age 69, represented a passing breed of fast-food personality. To the last of those personalities, Carl Karcher, Thomas was also a friend, a competitor, a bit of a copycat and “a fine gentleman” who “left us too soon.” Like Karcher, Thomas was a self-made man. “He quit halfway through high school, I quit in the eighth grade,” Karcher said. “He got started in 1969, me in 1941.” Karcher, who turns 85 this week, sent his condolences to Thomas’ widow Lorraine and to Wendy’s Columbus, Ohio HQ. Karcher often ran into Thomas at industry events. The two shared Horatio Alger awards in 1976, and they co-presented the awards five years later. Karcher said Lorraine and two of the Thomas children came out when Carl’s Jr. celebrated its 50th anniversary, even though Thomas himself was in the hospital. Their companies had many similarities, Karcher said, but it was always Thomas who did the imitating. Karcher conceded that Thomas was unmatched as a pitchman and that his company became bigger ($2 billion in annual sales and a $3 billion market cap as of last week, to $1.5 billion in sales and a $500 million market cap for CKE Restaurants). But Karcher boasted that he topped Thomas where it matters most: 12 children and 48 grandchildren to Thomas’ five children and 16 grandchildren Karcher said his personal finances, which have been on a roller coaster in recent years, are “looking much better” of late. CKE stock has risen to the $9-a-share level from $2-$3 in the past 12 months, making Karcher’s 1.4% stake worth about $6.5 million. Still smarting from having to unload $9 million worth of his CKE shares in 1999 to cover margin calls on the then-plunging stock, Karcher spent the past year making incremental share purchases Try shutting us up now: OC Weekly’s Will Swaim and EE RR are headed to Universal City to pick up the 2001 Golden Mike award for Best Commentary by a small station. The three-minute spot dissing light rail ran on “Real Orange” last April and is KOCE’s first Golden Mike in 20 years. The awards are given annually by the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California EE RR wishes a Happy New Year to the 65 persons, companies and organizations that sent him seasons greetings Beauty and brains at a corner table at Gustaf Anders: Juliana Martini, Kim Cripe, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Eve Kornyei, Leslie Cancellieri, Gloria Zigner and Sherri Kurdziel Grass roots with pepperoni and onions: Six Peppino’s restaurants in south county are helping the “Great Park” campaign by donating 10% of the receipts from Monday diners who present a “Yes on Measure W” certificate when they pay their check Another OCBJ addition: Olivia Bloom, to ME Roger and Victoria Bloom.
