Behind the Burger at Carl’s Jr. Part 1: Fresh Ingredients

The following is part 1 of 3 part series from Cambro’s Australian distributor detailing the work in helping a well-known US brand launch into an international market.

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Carl’s Jr’s landmark Australian store is riding a huge wave of success down under, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Refusing to apologize for its sinfully delicious burgers or bikini clad advertising, Carl’s is proving to be the ultimate risk taker in the fast food marketplace – except when it comes to food safety.

Comcater played a pivotal role in supplying the equipment for Carl’s Jr – from the Garland grills, Menumaster microwaves to the Comenda LC700TH-CRC Pass Through Dishwasher (which Carl’s General Manager Rodney Moran describes as “the most loved item in the kitchen”). Despite sourcing a huge range of equipment from varying International suppliers, Carl’s Jr. only had eyes for Cambro when it came to the supply of the shelving and storage equipment.

Cambro’s Polycarbonate Food Pans hold all the ingredients on the burger production line at Carl’s, ensuring each char grilled patty is matched with the freshest of ingredients. Not only do Cambro’s Food Pans come at half the price of regular stainless steel pans, but unlike stainless steel will hold far less condensation, whilst being virtually unbreakable – you can’t crack, dent, bend or even stain Cambro’s Food Pans. All of these factors were heavily considered by Carl’s Jr. General Manager Rodney Moran, who knew that producing fresh burgers with the freshest ingredients would make or break the store’s success.

“All our burgers are made fresh to order, so if the customer comes in and orders a burger they can be guaranteed that it’s fresh,” says Carl’s Jr. General Manager Rodney Moran. “Our lettuce is cut by hand, our tomato is sliced by hand, there’s a lot of labour that goes into our burgers.”

Prep starts early for the staff at Carl’s, with everything hand sliced and chopped before making its way onto the production line, or stored in a Cambro Food Box and kept in the cool room. Food Safety is front of mind during this process, with Cambro’s polycarbonate lids used to seal and hold ingredients safely and, as Rodney says, “away from contamination”.

With the Western Bacon Cheeseburger® being the most popular item on the Carl’s Jr. Menu, ensuring the key ingredient – the bacon – is deliciously crispy and not too greasy is a must. To ensure this, bacon is kept in a Cambro Food Box fit with a Polycarbonate Drain Shelf, which lifts the product out from the grease, fat and oil, greatly enhancing its quality and consistency. These Drain Shelves also have the added benefit of withstanding temperatures of -40 to 99°C, meaning they can be easily loaded and cleaned in your dishwasher.

To see the many ways in which Cambro’s storage solutions are helping Carl’s Jr. produce the freshest, yummiest, and downright naughtiest burgers down under, check out part one of our three part video series below.

For more information on why Cambro is the only storage supplier of choice for QSR operators, or how Cambro’s innovative solutions can help keep your food safe, visit www.comcater.com.au/brand/cambro (Australia)

For information on these Cambro products in your area, contact your Cambro representative.