Embattled Karcher Hailed : He Promises at Rally to Keep Fighting to Retake Carl’s Jr. Reins

Deborah Heath, an apartment manager who visits Carl’s Jr. three times a week for the bacon cheeseburgers, couldn’t miss the chance Thursday to stand in a dusty vacant lot with 250 others to honor Carl Karcher.

“He’s been very special to me. He’s affected my children,” Heath said as she held aloft a banner at the hastily organized Karcher love-fest next to Carl Karcher Enterprises in Anaheim. The devoted Carl’s Jr. customer listened to speeches hailing Karcher, who founded the fast-food company in 1941, and denouncing the board of directors who fired him Oct. 1 as chairman.

Karcher himself put in an appearance Thursday, drawing a huge cheer when his slate-gray Cadillac pulled up.

Looking relaxed in a open-collar shirt and flashing his signature smile, the 76-year-old Karcher pledged that “we’re going to keep up the fight, absolutely” to regain control of the company.

He called his dismissal “a darn shame.” He also complained about being allowed in the headquarters building only with a security escort, adding, “Is that American, or is that Gestapo?”

While pledging to make a corporate comeback, Karcher gave no indication of how he will go about it. He did say he would not encourage a boycott of Carl’s Jr.

While speakers took turns leading cheers for Karcher and denouncing the directors, other supporters stood beside Harbor Boulevard and waved signs that proclaimed to passing motorists, “We want Carl back” and “Carl is a star.”

Some Karcher fans at the rally were like Heath: simply devoted customers. Others said they know the longtime TV pitchman for Carl’s Jr. from his Anaheim neighborhood or his philanthropic or political activities.

Few of the chain’s 12,000 employees were in attendance. A Karcher Enterprises spokesman said that workers were not discouraged from attending, though some called The Times Orange County edition to say that they felt intimidated.

“We would love to be at this rally, but there is no way we can do that without losing our jobs,” said one man who identified himself only as a Carl’s Jr. worker.

Pat Behrbaum, a Karcher family friend who organized the event, pronounced it a success. Surveying the crowd, she said that more than twice as many people showed up as expected.

“I think it was great,” she said. “We were expecting 50 to 100.”

* RELATED STORY: A1