US burger giant Carl’s Jr opens in Australia

In January, America’s In-N-Out Burger pop-up store sent Sydneysiders into a frenzy on the streets of Surry Hills.

Now two days into February, another burger franchise, Carl’s Jr, has landed on our shores, but this giant is here for good.

Australia’s first Carl’s Jr outlet opened in Bateau Bay on the Central Coast and just like Sydney’s In-N-Out pop-up, people came from all corners of the country (and beyond) and camped outside for days before the official open date.

The store advertised they would be giving away free food to the first 50 customers.

First through the doors at 10am was die-hard fan Matt Elsey who had been camping outside for 40-hours.

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The 41-year-old received a “No.1 Carl’s Jr T-shirt” moments before he walked in, followed by a book of vouchers for a year’s supply of Carl’s Jr.

It’s amazing the lengths some will go to for a fast-food burger.

People were even queuing as far back as though the neighbouring McDonald’s drive through just so they could get a taste of Carl’s Jr’s jumbo-sized premium burgers.

So why not just get McDonald’s? Exactly my thoughts.

But Peter Wilding, who crossed the Tasman sea to be the second through the door, said a Maccas burger doesn’t even compare to a Carl’s Jr burger.

“This is like a Rolls Royce versus a Toyota Corolla,” 27-year-old Kiwi said.

With its racy supermodel adverts marketed towards 18-35 year-old males, Carl’s Jr already has plans as jumbo as their burgers to expand all over the country.

But is another fast-food joint on top of all the others we already have exactly what our waistlines need?

According to a 2012 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare survey, almost two thirds of Australian adults are overweight and obese.

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The Cancer Council NSW has flagged concerns over the excess calorie count of the burgers and the launch of the store in an area with high obesity levels.

When we think high calorie fast-food, we think of McDonald’s, but the calories and fat in a Maccas’ Big Mac (493 calories, 26.9g fat) doesn’t even come close to a Carl’s Jr Original Six Dollar Burger which contains 830 calories and 52g of fat.

That’s almost half an average man’s recommended daily calorie intake.

While the arrival of In-N-Out Burger and Carl’s Jr is exciting and new for Aussie punters, if we continue to receive a burger franchise each month, we’re either (hopefully) going to get over it all pretty quickly or have a huge problem on our plates!

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