WHERE’S THE BEEF? Carl’s Jr. hamburgers lost...

WHERE’S THE BEEF? Carl’s Jr. hamburgers lost 25% of their size crossing the Pacific. Company exec Steve Kishi says that before opening its first international franchise in Osaka in 1989 (D4), the firm took note of the high price of beef and smaller appetites in Japan. Conclusion: Sell a burger three-quarters its U.S. size. Market studies showed the Japanese customers didn’t know the difference and didn’t mind when they found out. For the Japanese, “hamburgers are just snacks and not a main meal of the day,” Kishi says.