Which chain started as a hot dog cart in Los Angeles in 1941?

Carl's Jr. started as a hot dog cart in Los Angeles in 1941. Carl and Margaret Karcher purchased the cart on the corner of Florence and Central Avenues, using money borrowed against their Plymouth automobile along with their savings.

The cart sold hot dogs, chili dogs, tamales, and soft drinks. Within several years, the Karchers had expanded to four hot dog stands in Los Angeles. They moved to nearby Anaheim in 1945 and opened Carl's Drive-In Barbecue, where hamburgers were added to the menu the following year.

The name Carl's Jr. came later. In 1956, the company opened two smaller restaurants in Anaheim and Brea; these were called Carl's Jr. because they were junior-sized versions of the larger Carl's Drive-In Barbecue restaurants.

The origin story is sometimes confused with the founding dates of other Southern California chains. In-N-Out began in Baldwin Park in 1948, while Jack in the Box opened in San Diego in 1951. Carl's Jr.'s hot dog-cart beginning is the clue that identifies it here.