10-Q

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

þ	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended August 9, 2010
	or
o	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from __________ to__________.

Commission file number 1-11313

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	33-0602639
(State or Other Jurisdiction	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
Of Incorporation or Organization)
6307 Carpinteria Avenue, Ste. A, Carpinteria, California	93013
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 745-7500

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes þ No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes o No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer £ Accelerated filer £ Non-accelerated filer R Smaller reporting company £

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ

The number of outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock was 100 shares as of September 22, 2010.

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX

	Page No.
Part I. Financial Information
Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited):
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of August 9, 2010 (Successor) and January 31, 2010 (Predecessor)	3
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor), eight weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor) and twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009 (Predecessor)	4
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor), twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor) and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 (Predecessor)	5
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor) and four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor)	6
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor), twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor) and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 (Predecessor)	7
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements	8
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	25
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	47
Item 4. Controls and Procedures	47
Part II. Other Information
Item 1. Legal Proceedings	48
Item 1A. Risk Factors	49
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	59
Item 6. Exhibits	60
Signatures	61

2

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 (In thousands, except shares and par values)

(Unaudited)

	Successor			Predecessor
	August 9, 2010			January 31, 2010
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	31,009		$	18,246
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $9 as of August 9, 2010 and $358 as of January 31, 2010		33,478			35,016
Related party trade receivables		—			5,037
Inventories, net		14,095			24,692
Prepaid expenses		12,180			13,723
Assets held for sale		572			500
Advertising fund assets, restricted		16,681			18,295
Deferred income tax assets, net		17,488			26,517
Other current assets		4,012			3,829
Total current assets		129,515			145,855
Notes receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $0 as of August 9, 2010 and $379 as of January 31, 2010		902			1,075
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $3,974 as of August 9, 2010 and $445,033 as of January 31, 2010		643,400			568,334
Property under capital leases, net of accumulated amortization of $439 as of August 9, 2010 and $46,090 as of January 31, 2010		33,169			32,579
Deferred income tax assets, net		—			40,299
Goodwill		188,194			24,589
Intangible assets, net		443,003			2,317
Other assets, net		22,684			8,495
Total assets	$	1,460,867		$	823,543
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Current portion of bank indebtedness and other long-term debt	$	28		$	12,262
Current portion of capital lease obligations		5,284			7,445
Accounts payable		40,391			65,656
Advertising fund liabilities		16,681			18,295
Other current liabilities		83,459			95,605
Total current liabilities		145,843			199,263
Bank indebtedness and other long-term debt, less current portion		589,567			266,202
Capital lease obligations, less current portion		33,331			43,099
Deferred income tax liabilities, net		179,648			—
Other long-term liabilities		84,951			78,804
Total liabilities		1,033,340			587,368
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 7, 9 and 15)
Subsequent events (Notes 9)
Stockholders’ equity:
Predecessor: Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 55,290,626 shares issued and outstanding as of January 31, 2010		—			553
Successor: Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100 shares authorized, issued and outstanding as of August 9, 2010		—			—
Additional paid-in capital		450,174			282,904
Accumulated deficit		(22,647	)		(47,282	)
Total stockholders’ equity		427,527			236,175
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	1,460,867		$	823,543

See Accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

3

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 (In thousands)

(Unaudited)

	Successor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Revenue:
Company-operated restaurants	$	85,951		$	169,526		$	257,794
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		10,990			47,408			78,173
Total revenue		96,941			216,934			335,967
Operating costs and expenses:
Restaurant operating costs:
Food and packaging		25,309			50,608			73,899
Payroll and other employee benefits		24,348			49,081			72,387
Occupancy and other		20,148			39,685			61,750
Total restaurant operating costs		69,805			139,374			208,036
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		5,206			35,322			58,333
Advertising		4,848			9,830			15,005
General and administrative		19,656			20,063			30,971
Facility action charges, net		137			(273	)		1,454
Other operating expenses, net		19,661			3,681			—
Total operating costs and expenses		119,313			207,997			313,799
Operating (loss) income		(22,372	)		8,937			22,168
Interest expense		(5,856	)		(3,592	)		(2,060	)
Other income, net		144			274			425
(Loss) income before income taxes		(28,084	)		5,619			20,533
Income tax (benefit) expense		(5,437	)		10,041			8,283
Net (loss) income	$	(22,647	)	$	(4,422	)	$	12,250

See Accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

4

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 (In thousands)

(Unaudited)

	Successor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Revenue:
Company-operated restaurants	$	85,951		$	500,531		$	600,958
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		10,990			151,588			181,813
Total revenue		96,941			652,119			782,771
Operating costs and expenses:
Restaurant operating costs:
Food and packaging		25,309			148,992			172,401
Payroll and other employee benefits		24,348			147,187			169,756
Occupancy and other		20,148			119,076			140,587
Total restaurant operating costs		69,805			415,255			482,744
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		5,206			115,089			137,826
Advertising		4,848			29,647			35,772
General and administrative		19,656			58,806			72,084
Facility action charges, net		137			590			2,502
Other operating expenses, net		19,661			10,249			—
Total operating costs and expenses		119,313			629,636			730,928
Operating (loss) income		(22,372	)		22,483			51,843
Interest expense		(5,856	)		(8,617	)		(8,404	)
Other income (expense), net		144			(13,609	)		1,287
(Loss) income before income taxes		(28,084	)		257			44,726
Income tax (benefit) expense		(5,437	)		7,772			18,081
Net (loss) income	$	(22,647	)	$	(7,515	)	$	26,645

See Accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

5

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(In thousands, except shares)

 (Unaudited)

	Common Stock						Additional			Accumulated			Total Stockholders’
	Shares			Amount			Paid-In Capital			Deficit			Equity
Predecessor:
Balance as of January 31, 2010		55,290,626		$	553		$	282,904		$	(47,282	)	$	236,175
Forfeitures of restricted stock awards		(78,484	)		(1	)		1			—			—
Exercise of stock options		154,317			2			1,061			—			1,063
Share-based compensation expense		—			—			4,710			—			4,710
Repurchase and retirement of common stock		(178,800	)		(2	)		(2,070	)		—			(2,072	)
Net loss		—			—			—			(7,515	)		(7,515	)
Balance as of July 12, 2010		55,187,659		$	552		$	286,606		$	(54,797	)	$	232,361

	Common Stock				Additional		Accumulated			Total Stockholders’
	Shares		Amount		Paid-In Capital		Deficit			Equity
Successor:
Equity contribution		100	$	—	$	450,000	$	—		$	450,000
Share-based compensation expense		—		—		174		—			174
Net loss		—		—		—		(22,647	)		(22,647	)
Balance as of August 9, 2010		100	$	—	$	450,174	$	(22,647	)	$	427,527

See Accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

6

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 (In thousands)

(Unaudited)

	Successor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss) income	$	(22,647	)	$	(7,515	)	$	26,645
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		4,952			33,703			37,812
Amortization of debt issuance costs and discount on notes		278			522			563
Share-based compensation expense		174			4,710			4,238
Provision for (recovery of) losses on accounts and notes receivable		9			(100	)		(303	)
Loss (gain) on sale of property and equipment and capital leases		283			(1,326	)		835
Facility action charges, net		137			590			2,502
Deferred income taxes		(5,517	)		8,241			9,178
Other non-cash charges		—			—			19
Net changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables, inventories, prepaid expenses and other current and non-current assets		5,866			4,826			11,330
Estimated liability for closed restaurants and estimated liability for self-insurance		64			(2,318	)		(1,373	)
Accounts payable and other current and long-term liabilities		(25,041	)		4,317			3,834
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities		(41,442	)		45,650			95,280
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment		(4,703	)		(33,738	)		(57,663	)
Acquisition of Predecessor		(693,478	)		—			—
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment		—			1,011			3,401
Proceeds from sale of Distribution Center assets		—			19,203			—
Collections of non-trade notes receivable		33			673			2,018
Acquisition of restaurants, net of cash acquired		—			—			(485	)
Other investing activities		9			(284	)		76
Net cash used in investing activities		(698,139	)		(13,135	)		(52,653	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net change in bank overdraft		(7,312	)		(7,364	)		(5,170	)
Borrowings under revolving credit facilities		—			138,500			75,000
Repayments of borrowings under revolving credit facilities		(34,000	)		(134,500	)		(97,000	)
Repayments of Predecessor Facility term loan		(236,487	)		(10,945	)		(2,962	)
Proceeds from issuance of senior secured second lien notes, net of original issue discount		588,510			—			—
Payment of debt issuance costs		(18,079	)		—			—
Repayments of other long-term debt		(2	)		(13	)		(11	)
Repayments of capital lease obligations		(405	)		(3,748	)		(3,812	)
Repurchase of common stock		—			(2,072	)		(1,340	)
Exercise of stock options		—			1,063			518
Tax impact of stock option and restricted stock award transactions		—			—			29
Dividends paid on common stock		—			(3,317	)		(6,554	)
Net advances from (to) Sponsor		2,641			(2,641	)		—
Equity contribution		450,000			—			—
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		744,866			(25,037	)		(41,302	)
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents		5,285			7,478			1,325
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period		25,724			18,246			17,869
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	31,009		$	25,724		$	19,194

See Accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

7

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Note 1 — Basis of Presentation and Description of Business

Description of Business:

CKE Restaurants, Inc. (“CKE” or the “Company”), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, owns, operates, franchises and licenses the Carl’s Jr.®, Hardee’s®, Green Burrito® and Red Burrito® concepts. References to CKE Restaurants, Inc. throughout these Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are made using the first person notations of “we,” “us” and “our.”

Carl’s Jr. restaurants are primarily located in the Western United States. Hardee’s restaurants are located throughout the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. Green Burrito restaurants are primarily located in dual-branded Carl’s Jr. restaurants. The Red Burrito concept is located in dual-branded Hardee’s restaurants. Generally, our franchisees are domestic and our licensees are international. As of August 9, 2010, our system-wide restaurant portfolio consisted of:

	Carl’s Jr.		Hardee’s		Other		Total
Company-operated		423		472		1		896
Franchised		673		1,222		11		1,906
Licensed		143		204		—		347
Total		1,239		1,898		12		3,149

As of August 9, 2010, 240 of our 423 company-operated Carl’s Jr. restaurants were dual-branded with Green Burrito, and 139 of our 472 company-operated Hardee’s restaurants were dual-branded with Red Burrito.

Merger and Related Transactions:

On July 12, 2010, we completed a merger with Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp. (“Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (“Parent”), a Delaware corporation, providing for the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 18, 2010 (“Merger Agreement”). Parent is controlled by investment entities affiliated with Apollo Management VII, L.P. (“Apollo” or the “Sponsor”). As a result of the Merger, shares of CKE common stock ceased to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange after close of market on July 12, 2010.

The aggregate consideration for all equity securities of the Company was $704,065, including $10,587 of post-combination share-based compensation expense, and the total debt assumed and refinanced in connection with the Merger was $270,487. The Merger was funded by (i) equity contributions from affiliates of Apollo of $436,645, (ii) equity contributions from our senior management of $13,355, (iii) proceeds of $588,510 from our $600,000 senior secured second lien notes (the “Notes”), and (iv) a senior secured revolving credit facility of $100,000 (the “Credit Facility”), which was undrawn at closing.

The aforementioned transactions, including the Merger and payment of costs related to these transactions, are collectively referred to as the “Transactions.”

8

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Basis of Presentation and Fiscal Year:

Our accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of CKE, our wholly-owned subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities (“VIEs”) for which we are the primary beneficiary and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. CKE does not have any non-controlling interests in other entities. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements presented in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010. In our opinion, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of financial position and results of operations for this interim period have been included. The results of operations for such interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year or for any future period.

We operate on a retail accounting calendar. Our fiscal year ends on the last Monday in January and typically has 13 four-week accounting periods. For clarity of presentation, we generally label all fiscal year ends as if the fiscal year ended January 31. The first quarter of our fiscal year has four periods, or 16 weeks. All other quarters generally have three periods, or 12 weeks. Our fiscal year ending January 31, 2011, which is also referred to as fiscal 2011, contains 53 weeks, whereby the one additional week will be included in our fourth quarter.

Our restaurant sales, and therefore our profitability, are subject to seasonal fluctuations and are traditionally higher during the spring and summer months because of factors such as increased travel upon school vacations and improved weather conditions, which affect the public’s dining habits.

For the purposes of presentation and disclosure, all references to “Predecessor” relate to CKE Restaurants, Inc. for periods prior to the Merger. All references to “Successor” relate to the CKE Restaurants, Inc. merged with Merger Sub for periods subsequent to the Merger. References to “we”, “us”, “our”, “CKE” and the “Company” relate to the Predecessor for the periods prior to the Merger and to the Successor for periods subsequent to the Merger.

Within this Form 10-Q, we corrected an immaterial error in our previously presented statement of cash flows for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. The error related to the treatment and presentation of payments for previously accrued property and equipment purchases that were included within accounts payable or accrued liabilities at January 31, 2009. The effect of the correction on our condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 (Predecessor) was to increase net cash provided by operating activities from $87,130 to $95,280 and to increase net cash used in investing activities from $44,503 to $52,653. We will also revise our historical statement of cash flows for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 to increase net cash provided by operating activities and net cash used in invest ing activities by $8,150 in our future Form 10-Q filing.

Certain prior year amounts in the Consolidated Financial Statements have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

Variable Interest Entities:

We consolidate one national and approximately 80 local co-operative advertising funds (“Hardee’s Funds”) as we have concluded that they are VIEs for which we are the primary beneficiary. We have included $16,681 and $18,295 of advertising fund assets, restricted, and advertising fund liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of August 9, 2010 (Successor) and January 31, 2010 (Predecessor), respectively. Consolidation of the Hardee’s Funds had no impact on our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Cash Flows. We have no rights to the assets, nor do we have any obligation with respect to the liabilities, of the Hardee’s Funds, and none of our assets serve as collateral for the creditors of these VIEs.

9

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Note 2 — Acquisition of CKE Restaurants, Inc.

The acquisition of CKE Restaurants, Inc. is being accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting, whereby the purchase price was preliminarily allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, based on their estimated fair market values. Fair-value measurements have been applied based on assumptions that market participants would use in the pricing of the asset or liability.  The following table summarizes the fair values assigned to the net assets acquired as of the July 12, 2010 acquisition date:

Total Consideration:
Cash paid to shareholders	$	704,065
Less: Post-combination share-based compensation expense (see Note 11)		(10,587	)
Total purchase price consideration		693,478
Fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed:
Cash and cash equivalents		25,724
Accounts receivable (1)		39,712
Inventories		13,956
Deferred income tax assets, net - current		18,126
Other current assets		36,336
Notes receivable - current and long-term (2)		2,311
Property and equipment (3)		642,700
Property under capital leases		33,582
Intangible assets		444,150
Other assets		4,203
Bank indebtedness - current and long-term		(271,505	)
Capital lease obligations - current and long-term		(38,995	)
Accounts payable		(54,811	)
Deferred income tax liabilities, net - long-term		(185,803	)
Other liabilities - current and long-term (4)		(204,402	)
Net assets acquired		505,284
Excess purchase price attributed to goodwill acquired	$	188,194

_____________

(1)   The gross amount due under accounts receivable acquired is $40,031, of which $319 is expected to be uncollectible.

(2)   The gross amount due under notes receivable acquired is $5,947, of which $3,636 is expected to be uncollectible.

(3)   The estimated fair value of property and equipment acquired consisted of: $248,218 of land, $87,142 of leasehold improvements, $201,781 of buildings and improvements, and $105,559 of equipment, furniture and fixtures.

(4)   The estimated fair value of unfavorable lease obligations assumed is $41,458 and included in other long-term liabilities in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

As of August 9, 2010, the purchase price allocation is preliminary and could change materially in subsequent periods. Any subsequent changes to the purchase price allocation that result in material changes to our consolidated financial results will be adjusted retrospectively. The final purchase price allocation is pending the receipt of valuation work and the completion of the Company’s internal review of such work, which is expected to be completed during fiscal 2011. The provisional items pending finalization are the valuation of our property and equipment, operating lease intangible assets and liabilities, capital lease assets and obligations, intangible assets, goodwill and income tax related matters.

At the time of the Merger, the Company believed its market position and future growth potential for both company-operated and franchised and licensed restaurants were the primary factors that contributed to a total purchase price that resulted in the recognition of goodwill. A portion of our goodwill recognized in connection with the Merger has carryover basis from previous acquisitions.  As of August 9, 2010, $45,135 of our goodwill will be deductible for federal income tax purposes.

10

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Transaction Costs:

We recorded $19,661 in transaction-related costs for accounting, investment banking, legal and other costs in connection with the Transactions within other operating expenses, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor). Additionally, in connection with the funding of the Notes and Credit Facility upon closing of the Merger, we capitalized $18,079 in debt issuance costs.

We recorded $7,123 in transaction-related costs for accounting, investment banking, legal and other costs in connection with the Transactions within other operating expenses, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the eight weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor).

We recorded $13,691 in transaction-related costs for accounting, investment banking, legal and other costs in connection with the Transactions within other operating expenses, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor). Additionally, we recorded a termination fee for a prior merger agreement with an affiliate of Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. of $9,283 and $5,000 in reimbursable costs within other income (expense), net in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor).

Pro Forma Financial Information:

The following unaudited pro forma results of operations assume that the Transactions had occurred on February 1, 2009 for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 and on February 1, 2010 for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, after giving effect to acquisition accounting adjustments relating to depreciation and amortization of the revalued assets, interest expense associated with the Credit Facility and the Notes, and other acquisition-related adjustments in connection with the Transactions. These unaudited pro forma results exclude transaction costs incurred in connection with the Merger and share-based compensation expense related to the acceleration of stock options and restricted stock awards. Additionally, the foll owing unaudited pro forma results of operations do not give effect to the sale of our Carl’s Jr. distribution facility operations, which was completed on July 2, 2010. This unaudited pro forma information should not be relied upon as necessarily being indicative of the historical results that would have been obtained if the Transactions had actually occurred on those dates, nor of the results that may be obtained in the future.

	Twelve Weeks Ended				Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended
	August 9, 2010		August 10, 2009		August 9, 2010		August 10, 2009
Revenues	$	314,310	$	336,372	$	750,143	$	783,830
Net income		4,497		2,651		3,656		6,942

Note 3 — Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued authoritative guidance that changes how a reporting entity determines when an entity that is insufficiently capitalized or is not controlled through voting (or similar rights) should be consolidated and requires companies to more frequently assess whether they must consolidate VIEs. The determination of whether a reporting entity is required to consolidate another entity is based on, among other things, the other entity’s purpose and design and the reporting entity’s ability to direct the activities that most significantly impact the other entity’s economic performance. We adopted the revised guidance for consolidation of VIEs, which did not have a significant effect on our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, as of the beginning of fiscal 2011.

11

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

In January 2010, the FASB issued new authoritative guidance to require additional disclosures for fair value measurements including the following: (1) amounts transferred in and out of Level 1 and 2 fair value measurements, which is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2009 (“Part I”), and (2) activities in Level 3 fair value measurements including purchases, sales, issuances and settlements, which is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2010 (“Part II”). We adopted Part I of the revised guidance for fair value measurements disclosures, which did not have a significant effect on our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, as of the beginning of fiscal 2011.

Note 4 — Assets Held For Sale

Surplus restaurant properties and company-operated restaurants that we expect to sell within one year are classified in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as assets held for sale. As of August 9, 2010, total assets held for sale were $572 and were comprised of four surplus properties in our Hardee’s operating segment. As of January 31, 2010, total assets held for sale were $500 and were comprised of two surplus properties in our Hardee’s operating segment.

Note 5 — Purchase and Sale of Assets

Purchase of Assets:

We did not purchase any restaurants from franchisees during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010. During the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009, we purchased one Carl’s Jr. restaurant from one of our franchisees for $485. As a result of this transaction, we recorded property and equipment of $64 and goodwill of $418 in our Carl’s Jr. segment.

Sale of Assets:

On July 2, 2010, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (“APA”) with Meadowbrook Meat Company, Inc. (“MBM”) to sell to MBM our Carl’s Jr. distribution center assets located in Ontario, California and Manteca, California (“Distribution Centers”). In connection with the APA, we received total consideration of $21,195 from MBM for the Distribution Center assets, which included inventory, fixed assets, real property in Manteca, California, and other related assets. During the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010, we collected proceeds of $19,203 related to the sale of the Distribution Center assets. The proceeds receivable from MBM of $1,992 are included in accounts receivable in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of August 9, 2010 (Successor). Additionally, we entered into sublease ag reements with MBM to sublease the facility in Ontario, California, as well as certain leased vehicles and equipment. We will remain principally liable for the lease obligations. We also remain liable for all liabilities incurred prior to the sale, which include worker’s compensation claims, employment related matters and litigation, and other liabilities. Additionally, we entered into a transition services agreement, whereby, both we and MBM are required to provide certain services in connection with the transition of the Distribution Centers to MBM.  As a result of the transaction, we recorded a gain of $3,442, which is included in other operating expenses, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the eight and twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor).

On July 2, 2010, we and our franchisees entered into distribution agreements with MBM to provide distribution services to our Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants through June 30, 2017.

12

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Related Party Transactions:

During the twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009, we sold three company-operated Carl’s Jr. restaurants and related real property with a net book value of $965 to a former executive and new franchisee. In connection with this transaction, we received aggregate consideration of $1,300, including $100 in initial franchise fees, which is included in franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue, and we recognized a net gain of $233, which is included in facility action charges, net, in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 (Predecessor), in our Carl’s Jr. segment. As part of this transaction, the franchisee acquired the real property and/or subleasehold interest in the real property related to the restaurant locations.

Note 6 — Intangible Assets, Net

The following table presents our indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets for each of the respective reporting periods. As of August 9, 2010, the fair value of our intangible assets is preliminary and could change materially in subsequent periods (see Note 2).

	Successor									Predecessor
	August 9, 2010									January 31, 2010
	Weighted Average Average Life (Years)		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
Trademarks/Tradenames	Indefinite		$	278,000	$	—		$	278,000	$	3,166	$	(1,251	)	$	1,915
Favorable lease agreements		10		69,150		(774	)		68,376		1,076		(756	)		320
Franchise agreements		20		97,000		(373	)		96,627		90		(8	)		82
			$	444,150	$	(1,147	)	$	443,003	$	4,332	$	(2,015	)	$	2,317

Our estimated future amortization expense related to these intangible assets is set forth as follows:

August 10, 2010 through January 31, 2011	$	6,882
Fiscal 2012		14,809
Fiscal 2013		14,429
Fiscal 2014		12,961
Fiscal 2015		11,195
Fiscal 2016		10,089

Note 7 — Indebtedness and Interest Expense

Senior Secured Credit Facility:

On July 12, 2010, we entered into the Credit Facility, which provides for senior secured revolving facility loans, swingline loans and letters of credit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000. The Credit Facility bears interest at a rate equal to, at our option, either: (1) the higher of Morgan Stanley’s “prime rate” plus 2.75% or the federal funds rate, as defined in our Credit Facility, plus 3.25%, or (2) the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 3.75%. The Credit Facility matures on July 12, 2015, at which time all outstanding revolving facility loans and accrued and unpaid interest must be repaid. As of August 9, 2010, we had no outstanding loan borrowings, $34,865 of outstanding letters of credit, and remaining availability of $65,135 under our Credit Facility.

13

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Our obligations under the Credit Facility are unconditionally guaranteed by Parent, prior to an initial public offering of our stock, and our existing and future wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries. In addition, all obligations are secured by (1) our common stock, prior to an initial public offering of such common stock, and (2) substantially all of our material owned assets and the material owned assets of the subsidiary guarantors.

Pursuant to the terms of our Credit Facility, during each fiscal year our capital expenditures cannot exceed the sum of (1) the greater of (i) $100,000 and (ii) 8.5% of our consolidated gross total tangible assets as of the end of such fiscal year plus, without duplication, (2) 10% of certain assets acquired in permitted acquisitions during such fiscal year (the "Acquired Assets Amount") and, (3) for the immediately following fiscal year, 5% of the Acquired Assets Amount, calculated on a cumulative basis. In addition, the annual base amount of permitted capital expenditures may be increased by an amount equal to any cumulative credit (as defined in the Credit Facility) which we elect to apply for this purpose and may be carried-back and/or carried-forward subject to the terms set forth in the Credit Facility. The terms of our Credit Faci lity also include financial performance covenants, which include a maximum secured leverage ratio, a specified minimum interest coverage ratio and certain other restrictive covenants.

The Credit Facility contains covenants that restrict our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to: incur additional indebtedness; pay dividends on our capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire our capital stock or indebtedness; make investments, loans, advances and acquisitions; create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to us from our subsidiaries; sell assets, including capital stock of our subsidiaries; consolidate or merge; create liens; enter into sale and leaseback transactions; amend, modify or permit the amendment or modification of any senior secured second lien note documents; engage in certain transactions with our affiliates; issue capital stock; create subsidiaries; and change the business conducted by us or our subsidiaries.

Senior Secured Second Lien Notes:

In connection with the Merger, on July 12, 2010, we issued $600,000 in principal amount of senior secured second lien notes in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 11.375% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15, beginning on January 15, 2011. The Notes were issued with an original issue discount of 1.92%, or $11,490, and are recorded as long-term debt, net of original issue discount, in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of August 9, 2010 (Successor). The original issue discount and debt issuance costs associated with the issuance of the Notes are amortized to interest expense over the term of the Notes. The Notes mature on July 15, 2018.

Each of our wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness under the Credit Facility guarantee on a senior basis the performance and punctual payment when due, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, of all our obligations under the Notes.

Our obligations and the obligations of the guarantors are secured on a second-priority lien on the assets that secure our and our subsidiary guarantors’ obligations under our Credit Facility, subject to certain exceptions and permitted liens.

The indenture governing the Notes contains restrictive covenants that limit our and our guarantor subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preferred equity; pay dividends, make capital stock distributions or other restricted payments; make certain investments; sell certain assets; create or incur liens on certain assets to secure debt; consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets; enter into certain transactions with affiliates; and designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries. Additionally, the indenture contains certain reporting covenants, which requires us to provide all such information required to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in accordance with the reporting requi rements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), as a non-accelerated filer, even if we are not specifically required to comply with such sections of the Exchange Act. Failure to comply with these covenants constitutes a default and may lead to the acceleration of the principal amount and accrued but unpaid interest on the Notes.

14

We may redeem the Notes prior to the maturity date based upon the following conditions: (1) prior to July 15, 2013, we may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes with the proceeds of certain equity offerings at a redemption price of 111.375% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, (2) during, in each of the 12-month periods beginning July 15, 2011, July 15, 2012, and July 15, 2013, we may redeem up to 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at a redemption price of 103% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, (3) on or after July 15, 2014, we may redeem all or any portion of the Notes during the 12-month periods commencing July 15, 2014, July 15, 2015, July 15, 2016 and July 15, 2017 and thereafter at a redemption price o f 105.688%, 102.844%, 101.422% and 100%, respectively, of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, and (4) prior to July 15, 2014, we may redeem all or any portion of the Notes at a price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus a make-whole premium and accrued and unpaid interest. Upon a change in control, the Note holders each have the right to require us to redeem their Notes at a redemption price of 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest.

In connection with the Notes, we have entered into a registration rights agreement pursuant to which we have agreed to file an exchange offer registration statement with the SEC for the Notes. We and our guarantor subsidiaries have agreed to use our commercially reasonable efforts to file within 180 days and effect within 270 days a registration statement to offer to exchange the Notes for registered notes with identical terms, subject to certain exclusions of previously identified terms.

Repayment of Debt and Interest Rate Swap Agreements:

In connection with the Merger, we repaid at closing the total principal outstanding balance of the term loan portion of our senior credit facility (“Predecessor Facility”) of $236,487 and the total outstanding borrowings on the revolving portion of our Predecessor Facility of $34,000, as well as all incurred and unpaid interest on our Predecessor Facility. In connection with the Merger, the debt issuance costs related to the Predecessor Facility were removed from our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet through acquisition accounting. All outstanding letters of credit under the Predecessor Facility were terminated on July 12, 2010.

In connection with the Merger, we settled and paid in full all obligations related to our fixed rate interest rate swap agreements, which totaled $14,844. During the eight weeks ended July 12, 2010 and twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009, we recorded interest expense of $1,743 and a reduction in interest expense of $1,079, respectively, under these interest rate swap agreements to adjust their carrying value to fair value. During the eight weeks ended July 12, 2010 and twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009, we paid $767 and $2,231, respectively, for net settlements under our interest rate swap agreements, excluding the settlement at closing of the Merger. During the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009, we recorded interest expense of $3,113 and $1,316, respectively, under these interest rate swa p agreements to adjust their carrying value to fair value. During the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009, we paid $3,750 and $5,063, respectively, for net settlements under our interest rate swap agreements, excluding the settlement at closing of the Merger. As a matter of policy, we do not enter into derivative instruments unless there is an underlying exposure. See Note 8 for fair value measurement of derivatives.

15

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Interest expense:

Interest expense consisted of the following:

	Successor		Predecessor
		Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010	Eight Weeks Ended  July 12, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Senior secured credit facility	$	47	$	—	$	—		$	—	$	—
Senior secured second lien notes		5,195		—		—			—		—
Predecessor Facility		—		797		1,230			2,338		3,013
Interest rate swap agreements		—		1,743		(1,079	)		3,113		1,316
Capital lease obligations		310		782		1,267			2,318		2,788
Amortization of debt issuance costs and discount on notes		278		155		234			488		549
Letter of credit fees and other		26		115		408			360		738
	$	5,856	$	3,592	$	2,060		$	8,617	$	8,404

Note 8 — Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The following table presents information on our financial instruments as of:

	Successor				Predecessor
	August 9, 2010				January 31, 2010
	Carrying Value		Estimated Fair Value		Carrying Value		Estimated Fair Value
Financial assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	31,009	$	31,009	$	18,246	$	18,246
Notes receivable		2,263		2,263		2,183		2,534
Financial liabilities:
Long-term debt and bank indebtedness, including current portion		589,595		607,016		278,464		250,798

The fair value of cash and cash equivalents approximates its carrying value due to its short maturity. The estimated fair value of notes receivable was determined by discounting future cash flows using current rates at which similar loans might be made to borrowers with similar credit ratings. As of August 9, 2010, the estimated fair value of the Notes was determined by using estimated market prices of our outstanding Notes.  For all other long-term debt, the estimated fair value was determined by discounting future cash flows using rates available to us for debt with similar terms and remaining maturities.

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Entities are required to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value based upon the following fair value hierarchy:

Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2 — Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; and

16

Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

The following table summarizes the financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of August 9, 2010 and January 31, 2010:

			Successor		Predecessor
	Level		August 9, 2010		January 31, 2010
Interest rate swap agreements (1)		2	$	—	$	15,482

___________

(1) On July 12, 2010, we settled and paid in full all obligations related to our fixed rate interest rate swap agreements.

The interest rate swap agreements are recorded at fair value based upon valuation models which utilize relevant factors such as the contractual terms of our interest rate swap agreements, credit spreads for the contracting parties and interest rate curves.

Note 9 — Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Under various past and present refranchising programs, we have sold restaurants to franchisees, some of which were on leased sites. We entered into sublease agreements with these franchisees but remained principally liable for the lease obligations. We account for the sublease payments received as franchising rental income in franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue, and the payments on the leases as rental expense in franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense, in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. As of August 9, 2010, the present value of the lease obligations under the remaining master leases’ primary terms is $115,629. Franchisees may, from time to time, experience financial hardship and may cease payment on their sublease obligations to us. The present value of the exposure to us from franchisees characterized as under financial hardship is $10,718.

Pursuant to our Credit Facility, we may borrow up to $100,000 for senior secured revolving facility loans, swingline loans and letters of credit (see Note 7). We have several standby letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Facility, which primarily secure our potential workers’ compensation, general and auto liability obligations. We are required to provide letters of credit each year, or set aside a comparable amount of cash or investment securities in a trust account, based on our existing claims experience. As of August 9, 2010, we had outstanding letters of credit of $34,865, expiring at various dates through August 2011.

As of August 9, 2010, we had unconditional purchase obligations in the amount of $79,566, which consisted primarily of contracts for goods and services related to restaurant operations and contractual commitments for marketing and sponsorship arrangements.

In connection with the Merger, we entered into employment agreements with certain key executives (the “Employment Agreements”). Pursuant to the terms of the Employment Agreements, each executive shall be entitled to receive certain payments that will be paid out over the next two to three years, in accordance with such executive’s Employment Agreement. In addition, each executive will be entitled to payments that may be triggered by the termination of employment under certain circumstances, as set forth in each Employment Agreement. If certain provisions are triggered, the affected executive will be entitled to receive an amount equal to his base salary for the remainder of the current employment term, except our Chief Executive Officer who sha ll be entitled to receive an amount equal to his minimum base salary multiplied by six, and our President and Chief Legal Officer and our Chief Financial Officer each of whom shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the respective minimum base salary multiplied by three. The affected executive may also be entitled to receive additional cash payments consisting of a pro-rata portion of his current year bonus and a portion of his retention bonus. If all payment provisions of the Employment Agreements had been triggered as of August 9, 2010, we would have been required to make cash payments of approximately $16,148.

17

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Putative consolidated stockholder class action lawsuits were filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery and in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara regarding the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 26, 2010, by and among the Company and affiliates of Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. (the “Prior Merger Agreement”). On May 12, 2010, the plaintiffs in the Delaware Court of Chancery action filed an amended complaint against the Company, each of its directors, Apollo, Parent and Merger Sub that drops the challenge to the Prior Merger Agreement and instead seeks to enjoin the Merger (the “Delaware Action”). On or about June 7, 2010, the parties to the Delaware Action informed that court that they had reached a memorandum of understanding regarding settlement of the Delaware Action. On or about June 8, 2010, the parties to the consolidated action in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara reached an agreement in principle regarding settlement of the consolidated putative stockholder class action filed in the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara (the “California Action”). On September 13, 2010, the parties to the Delaware Action filed with the Delaware Court of Chancery a stipulation of settlement, which is subject to court approval. The Delaware Court of Chancery has scheduled a hearing for November 18, 2010 at which point the Court will consider the fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy of the settlement. The plaintiffs in the California Action have agreed to voluntarily dismiss their claims following final court approval of the settlement of the Delaware Action. The settlements of the Delaware Action and the California Action are not expected to materially impact our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

We are currently involved in other legal disputes related to employment claims, real estate claims and other business disputes. As of August 9, 2010, our accrued liability for litigation contingencies with a probable likelihood of loss was $235, with an expected range of losses from $235 to $390. With respect to employment matters, our most significant legal disputes relate to employee meal and rest breaks, and wage and hour disputes. Several potential class action lawsuits have been filed in the state of California, regarding such employment matters, each of which is seeking injunctive relief and monetary compensation on behalf of current and former employees. The Company intends to vigorously defend against all claims in these lawsuits; however, we are presently unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these actions. As of August 9, 2010, we estimated the contingent liability of those losses related to litigation claims that are not accrued, but that we believe are reasonably possible to result in an adverse outcome and for which a range of loss can be reasonably estimated, to be in the range of $1,655 to $5,245. In addition, we are involved in legal matters where the likelihood of loss has been judged to be reasonably possible, but for which a range of the potential loss cannot be reasonably estimated.

Note 10 — Stockholders’ Equity

Successor:

In connection with the Merger, we authorized and issued a total of 100 shares of $0.01 par value common stock. Each share of common stock entitles the shareholder to one vote per share and is eligible to receive dividend payments when declared. Our ability to declare dividends is restricted by certain covenants contained our Credit Facility and Notes. Our common stock is not traded on any stock exchange or any organized market.

Predecessor:

During the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010, we did not declare cash dividends. During the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009, we declared cash dividends of $0.12 per share of common stock, for a total of $6,550. Dividends payable of $3,317 were included in other current liabilities in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of January 31, 2010.

18

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Note 11 — Share-Based Compensation

Total share-based compensation expense and associated tax benefits recognized were as follows:

	Successor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009		Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Share-based compensation expense related to restricted stock awards that contain market or performance conditions	$	—	$	184	$	978	$	717	$	978
Share-based compensation expense related to the acceleration of vesting of stock options and awards in connection with Merger		10,587		1,521		—		1,521		—
All other share-based compensation expense		174		818		1,412		2,472		3,264
Total share-based compensation expense	$	10,761	$	2,523	$	2,390	$	4,710	$	4,242
Associated tax benefits	$	—	$	1,138	$	843	$	1,804	$	1,465

Successor:

In connection with the Merger, the Sponsor, certain members of our senior management team and our board of directors formed Apollo CKE Holdings, L.P., a limited partnership, (the “Partnership”) to fund the equity contribution to CKE Restaurants, Inc. The Partnership also granted 5,168,333 profit sharing interests (“Units”) in the Partnership to certain of our senior management team and directors of CKE in the form of time vesting and performance vesting Units. Under certain circumstances, a portion of the Units may become subject to both performance and market conditions.

The time vesting Units will vest in four equal annual installments from the date of grant. The performance vesting Units will vest or convert to a time vesting schedule upon achievement of certain financial or investment targets. Prior to a change in control or qualified initial public offering (“IPO”), our performance against such targets will be determined based upon a specified formula driven by our earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”). These performance criteria will be assessed on a quarterly basis beginning with the quarter ending August 13, 2012. Upon a change in control event or qualified IPO, our performance against the specified targets will be based upon a formula driven by the proceeds generated from such transaction. We recognize share-based compensatio n expense related to the performance vesting Units when we deem the achievement of performance goals to be probable.

The grant date fair value of the Units was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The weighted average grant date fair value of the time and performance vesting Units granted in connection with the Merger was $3.52. We recorded $174 of share-based compensation expense related to the Units for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010. The maximum unrecognized compensation cost for the time and performance vesting Units was $17,711 as of August 9, 2010.

In connection with the Merger, the vesting of all outstanding unvested options and restricted stock awards was accelerated immediately prior to closing. As a result of the acceleration, we recorded $10,587 in share-based compensation expense during the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 within general and administrative expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations related to the post-Merger service period for certain stock options and awards (see also Predecessor below).

19

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Predecessor:

In connection with the Merger, all outstanding options became fully vested and exercisable immediately prior to closing, under our then existing stock incentive plans, which included the 2005 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan, 2001 Stock Incentive Plan, and 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (collectively “Predecessor Plans”). To the extent that such stock options had an exercise price less than $12.55 per share, the holders of such stock options were paid an amount in cash equal to $12.55 less the exercise price of the stock option. In addition, all outstanding restricted stock awards became fully vested immediately prior to the closing and were treated as a share of our common stock for all purposes under the Merger Agreement. We recorded $1,521 in stock compensation expense related to the acceleration of options and restricted st ock awards from Predecessor Plans during the eight and twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010.

During the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010, the employment agreements of certain key executives were amended, resulting in certain modifications to the restricted stock awards outstanding under the Predecessor Plans. These amendments reallocated certain restricted stock awards that contained performance conditions to time-based restricted stock awards. Additionally, the employment agreements amended the vesting criteria for restricted stock awards that contained market or performance conditions. In connection with the Merger, the vesting of the outstanding restricted stock awards was accelerated and treated as a share of our common stock at closing.

Note 12 — Facility Action Charges, Net

The components of facility action charges, net are as follows:

	Successor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Estimated liability for new restaurant closures	$	—	$	—		$	16		$	363		$	525
Adjustments to estimated liability for closed restaurants		34		(13	)		(494	)		60			(318	)
Impairment of assets to be disposed of		—		—			—			156			—
Impairment of assets to be held and used		—		158			2,023			161			2,046
Loss (gain) on sales of restaurants and surplus properties, net		62		(486	)		(186	)		(348	)		22
Amortization of discount related to estimated liability for closed restaurants		41		68			95			198			227
	$	137	$	(273	)	$	1,454		$	590		$	2,502

When an analysis of estimated future cash flows associated with a long-lived asset or asset group indicates that our long-lived assets may not be recoverable, we recognize an impairment loss. Assets are not deemed to be recoverable if their carrying value is less than the undiscounted future cash flows that we expect to generate from their use. Assets that are not deemed to be recoverable are written down to their estimated fair value. Fair value is typically determined using discounted cash flows to estimate the price that a franchisee would be expected to pay for a restaurant and its related assets. This fair value measurement is dependent upon level 3 significant unobservable inputs, as described by authoritative guidance (see Note 8).

20

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Impairment charges recognized in facility action charges, net were recorded against the following asset categories:

	Successor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009		Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Property and equipment:
Carl’s Jr.	$	—	$	46	$	1,875	$	49	$	1,879
Hardee’s		—		98		27		254		46
		—		144		1,902		303		1,925
Property under capital leases:
Carl’s Jr.		—		14		40		14		40
Hardee’s		—		—		81		—		81
		—		14		121		14		121
Total:
Carl’s Jr.		—		60		1,915		63		1,919
Hardee’s		—		98		108		254		127
	$	—	$	158	$	2,023	$	317	$	2,046

Note 13 — Income Taxes

Income tax (benefit) expense consisted of the following:

	Successor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009		Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Federal and state income taxes	$	(5,518	)	$	9,837	$	8,029	$	7,173	$	17,578
Foreign income taxes		81			204		254		599		503
Income tax (benefit) expense	$	(5,437	)	$	10,041	$	8,283	$	7,772	$	18,081

Successor:

Our effective income tax rate for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of non-deductible transaction costs and share-based compensation. We had $4,212 of tax benefits as of August 9, 2010, that, if recognized, would affect our effective income tax rate. There were no material changes in the unrecognized tax benefits for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010. We believe that it is reasonably possible that decreases in unrecognized tax benefits of up to $3,037 may be necessary within the fiscal year as a result of statutes closing on such items. In addition, we believe that it is reasonably possible that our unrecognized tax benefits may increase as a result of tax positions that may be taken during fiscal 2011 and 2012.

As of August 9, 2010, we maintained a valuation allowance of $7,913 for state capital loss carryforwards, certain state net operating loss and income tax credit carryforwards. Realization of the tax benefit of such deferred income tax assets may remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, even though we expect to generate consolidated taxable income, since they are subject to various limitations and may only be used to offset income of certain entities or of a certain character.

21

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

Predecessor:

Our effective income tax rate for the eight and twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of non-deductible transaction-related costs, state income taxes and certain other expenses that are nondeductible for income tax purposes. Our effective income tax rate for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of state income taxes and certain expenses that are nondeductible for income tax purposes. We had $4,212 of tax benefits as of July 12, 2010, that, if recognized, would affect our effective income tax rate.

Note 14 — Segment Information

We are principally engaged in developing, operating, franchising and licensing our Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s quick-service restaurant concepts, each of which is considered an operating segment that is managed and evaluated separately. In addition to using consolidated results in evaluating our financial results, a primary measure used by executive management in assessing the performance of existing restaurant concepts is segment income. Segment income is defined as income from operations excluding general and administrative expenses, facility action charges, net, and other operating expenses, net. Our general and administrative expenses include allocations of corporate general and administrative expenses, such as share-based compensation expense, to each segment based on management’s analysis of the resources applied to e ach segment. Because facility action charges are associated with impaired, closed or subleased restaurants, these charges are excluded when assessing our ongoing operations. Other operating expenses, net consists of transaction-related costs and the gain on sale of our Distribution Center assets, and are also excluded when assessing our ongoing operations.

For the quarterly period ended August 9, 2010, we have revised our measurement of segment profit to conform to the views of our executive management in light of the Transactions.  To enhance comparability between periods presented, we have revised our segment information for previous periods to conform with the current period presentation. Previously, we presented operating income as our measurement of segment profit. Other than the aforementioned change to our measurement of segment profit, the accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in our summary of significant accounting policies (see Note 1 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010).

22

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Dollars in thousands)

(Unaudited)

	Successor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Revenue:
Carl’s Jr.	$	49,494		$	122,457		$	201,146		$	383,234		$	469,034
Hardee’s		47,392			94,366			134,631			268,523			313,241
Other		55			111			190			362			496
Total	$	96,941		$	216,934		$	335,967		$	652,119		$	782,771
Segment income:
Carl’s Jr.	$	7,605		$	13,647		$	28,693		$	43,666		$	68,209
Hardee’s		9,446			18,700			25,803			48,254			57,897
Other		31			61			97			208			323
Total		17,082			32,408			54,593			92,128			126,429
Less: General and administrative expense		(19,656	)		(20,063	)		(30,971	)		(58,806	)		(72,084	)
Less: Facility action charges, net		(137	)		273			(1,454	)		(590	)		(2,502	)
Less: Other operating expenses, net		(19,661	)		(3,681	)		—			(10,249	)		—
Operating (loss) income		(22,372	)		8,937			22,168			22,483			51,843
Interest expense		(5,856	)		(3,592	)		(2,060	)		(8,617	)		(8,404	)
Other income (expense), net		144			274			425			(13,609	)		1,287
(Loss) income before income taxes	$	(28,084	)	$	5,619		$	20,533		$	257		$	44,726
Depreciation and amortization:
Depreciation and amortization included in segment income:
Carl’s Jr.	$	2,433		$	5,139		$	7,647		$	15,586		$	17,555
Hardee’s		2,245			5,323			7,742			16,214			17,661
Other		—			—			—			—			—
Other depreciation and amortization (1)		274			597			1,125			1,903			2,596
Total depreciation and amortization	$	4,952		$	11,059		$	16,514		$	33,703		$	37,812
	Successor			Predecessor
	August 9, 2010			January 31, 2010
Total assets:
Carl’s Jr.	$	722,320		$	300,329
Hardee’s		659,377			368,889
Other		79,170			154,325
Total	$	1,460,867		$	823,543
Goodwill (2):
Carl’s Jr.	$	167,301		$	23,550
Hardee’s		20,893			1,039
Other		—			—
Total	$	188,194		$	24,589

___________

(1)  Represents depreciation and amortization excluded from the computation of segment income.

(2) As of August 9, 2010, the allocation of goodwill to our Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s operating segments is preliminary and could change materially in future periods (see Note 2).

23

Note 15 — Transactions with Sponsor

In connection with the Merger, we entered into a management services agreement with the Sponsor. Pursuant to the management services agreement, the Sponsor received on the closing date cash consideration of $10,020 for services and reimbursable expenses in connection with the Merger. We recorded $5,010 of these costs to other operating expenses, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations during the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor) and capitalized $5,010 in debt issuance costs.

In addition, pursuant to the management services agreement and in exchange for on-going investment banking, management, consulting, and financial planning services that will be provided to us by the Sponsor and its affiliates, the Sponsor will receive an aggregate annual management fee of $2,500, which may be increased to an amount equal to two percent of our Adjusted EBITDA, as defined within our Credit Facility. The management services agreement provides for a ten year term, which may be terminated earlier in the event of an IPO for fees remaining under the term of the agreement discounted at a 10% rate. We recorded $62 in management fees, which are included in general and administrative expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor).

The management services agreement also provides that affiliates of the Sponsor may receive future fees in connection with certain future financing and acquisition or disposition transactions. The management services agreement includes customary exculpation and indemnification provisions in favor of the Sponsor and its affiliates.

Note 16 — Supplemental Cash Flow Information

	Successor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Cash paid for:
Interest, net of amounts capitalized (1)	$	15,672	$	8,299	$	11,283
Income taxes, net of refunds received		69		530		2,006
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Proceeds receivable from sale of Distribution Center assets		—		1,992		—
Dividends declared, not paid		—		—		3,275
Capital lease obligations incurred to acquire assets		26		4,179		14,267
Accrued property and equipment purchases at quarter-end		4,870		4,593		4,756

___________

(1) Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized, includes $14,844, $3,750, and $5,063 of payments related to our fixed rate interest rate swap agreements during the four weeks ended August 9, 2010, twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009, respectively.

24

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

CKE Restaurants, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as the “Company,” “we”, “us”, “our”) is comprised of the operations of Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito (which is primarily operated as a dual-branded concept with Carl’s Jr. quick-service restaurants) and Red Burrito (which is operated as a dual-branded concept with Hardee’s quick-service restaurants). The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis should be read in conjunction with the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contained herein, and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2010.

We have prepared our discussion of the results of operations for the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010 by adding the earnings and cash flows of the Successor four weeks ended August 9, 2010 and the Predecessor eight weeks ended July 12, 2010, as compared to the Predecessor twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009. Similarly, we have prepared our discussion of the results of operations for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 by adding the earnings and cash flows of the Successor four weeks ended August 9, 2010 and the Predecessor twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010, as compared to the Predecessor twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. Although this combined presentation does not comply with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we believe that it provides a meaningful method of comparison. The combined operating results have not been prepared on a pro forma basis under applicable regulations and may not reflect the actual results we would have achieved absent the Transactions, defined below, and may not be predictive of future results of operations.

Recent Developments

Merger and Related Transactions:

On July 12, 2010, we completed a merger with Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp. (“Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (“Parent”), a Delaware corporation, providing for the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 18, 2010 (“Merger Agreement”). Parent is controlled by investment entities affiliated with Apollo Management VII, L.P. (“Apollo” or the “Sponsor”).As a result of the Merger, shares of CKE common stock ceased to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange after close of market on July 12, 2010.

The aggregate consideration for all equity securities of the Company was $704,065, including $10,587 of post-combination share-based compensation expense, and the total debt assumed and refinanced in connection with the Merger was $270,487. The Merger was funded by (i) equity contributions from affiliates of Apollo of $436,645, (ii) equity contributions from our senior management of $13,355, (iii) proceeds of $588,510 from our $600,000 senior secured second lien notes (the “Notes”), and (iv) a senior secured revolving credit facility of $100,000 (the “Credit Facility”), which was undrawn at closing.

The aforementioned transactions, including the Merger and payment of costs related to these transactions, are collectively referred to as the “Transactions.”

In connection with the Merger, we entered into Employment Agreements, dated as of July 12, 2010, with each of Andrew F. Puzder, our Chief Executive Officer, E. Michael Murphy, our President and Chief Legal Officer, and Theodore Abajian, our Chief Financial Officer, each of which have an initial term of four years, which term shall automatically be extended for successive one-year periods unless an Employment Agreement is terminated by either party with written notice six months prior to the termination of such agreement.

Also in connection with the Merger, we entered into a management services agreement with the Sponsor.  Pursuant to the agreement, the Sponsor received on the closing date cash consideration of $10,020 for services and reimbursable expenses in connection with the Merger. We recorded $5,010 of these costs within other operating expenses, net in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations during the four weeks ended August 9, 2010 (Successor) and capitalized $5,010 in debt issuance costs.

25

In addition, pursuant to the management services agreement and in exchange for on-going investment banking, management, consulting, and financial planning services that will be provided to us by the Sponsor and its affiliates, the Sponsor will receive an aggregate annual management fee of $2,500, which may be increased in accordance with the terms of the agreement.  The agreement provides for a ten year term, which may be terminated earlier in the event of an IPO for fees remaining under the term of the agreement discounted at a 10% rate. The management services agreement also provides that affiliates of the Sponsor may receive future fees in connection with certain future financing and acquisition or disposition transactions. This agreement includes customary exculpation and indemnification provisions in favor of the Sponsor a nd its affiliates.

Sale of Carl’s Jr. Distribution Center Assets:

On July 2, 2010, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (“APA”) with Meadowbrook Meat Company, Inc. (“MBM”) to sell to MBM our Carl’s Jr. distribution center assets located in Ontario, California and Manteca, California (“Distribution Centers”). In connection with the APA, we received total consideration of $21,195 from MBM for the Distribution Center assets, which included inventory, fixed assets, real property in Manteca, California, and other related assets. During the twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010, we collected proceeds of $19,203 related to the sale of the Distribution Center assets. The proceeds receivable from MBM of $1,992 are included in accounts receivable in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of August 9, 2010 (Successor). Additionally, we entered into sublease ag reements with MBM to sublease the facility in Ontario, California, as well as certain leased vehicles and equipment. We will remain principally liable for the lease obligations. We also remain liable for all liabilities incurred prior to the sale, which include worker’s compensation claims, employment related matters and litigation, and other liabilities. Additionally, we entered into a transition services agreement, whereby, both we and MBM are required to provide certain services in connection with the transition of the Distribution Centers to MBM.  As a result of the transaction, we recorded a gain of $3,442, which is included in other operating expenses, net in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the eight and twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010 (Predecessor).

On July 2, 2010, we and our franchisees entered into distribution agreements with MBM to provide distribution services to our Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants through June 30, 2017.

Operating Review

The following tables are presented to facilitate Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations:

The following table shows the change in our restaurant portfolio for the trailing-13 periods ended August 9, 2010:

	Company-operated			Franchised			Licensed			Total
Open at August 10, 2009		900			1,907			333			3,140
New		10			32			27			69
Closed		(14	)		(33	)		(13	)		(60	)
Divested		(1	)		(1	)		—			(2	)
Acquired		1			1			—			2
Open at August 9, 2010		896			1,906			347			3,149

26

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Quarter:	Successor			Predecessor			Successor/ Predecessor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Revenue:
Company-operated restaurants	$	85,951		$	169,526		$	255,477		$	257,794
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		10,990			47,408			58,398			78,173
Total revenue		96,941			216,934			313,875			335,967
Operating costs and expenses:
Restaurant operating costs		69,805			139,374			209,179			208,036
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		5,206			35,322			40,528			58,333
Advertising		4,848			9,830			14,678			15,005
General and administrative		19,656			20,063			39,719			30,971
Facility action charges, net		137			(273	)		(136	)		1,454
Other operating expenses, net		19,661			3,681			23,342			—
Total operating costs and expenses		119,313			207,997			327,310			313,799
Operating (loss) income		(22,372	)		8,937			(13,435	)		22,168
Interest expense		(5,856	)		(3,592	)		(9,448	)		(2,060	)
Other income, net		144			274			418			425
(Loss) income before income taxes		(28,084	)		5,619			(22,465	)		20,533
Income tax (benefit) expense		(5,437	)		10,041			4,604			8,283
Net (loss) income	$	(22,647	)	$	(4,422	)	$	(27,069	)	$	12,250
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA (1):
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	85,951		$	169,526		$	255,477		$	257,794
Less: restaurant operating costs		(69,805	)		(139,374	)		(209,179	)		(208,036	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		4,049			10,036			14,085			14,590
Less: advertising expense		(4,848	)		(9,830	)		(14,678	)		(15,005	)
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA	$	15,347		$	30,358		$	45,705		$	49,343
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin		17.9	%		17.9	%		17.9	%		19.1	%
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA (1):
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	10,990		$	47,408		$	58,398		$	78,173
Less: franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense		(5,206	)		(35,322	)		(40,528	)		(58,333	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		629			426			1,055			799
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA	$	6,413		$	12,512		$	18,925		$	20,639

____________

(1) Refer to definitions of company-operated restaurant-level non-GAAP measures and franchise non-GAAP measures within subheading “Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

27

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Year To Date:	Successor			Predecessor			Successor/ Predecessor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Revenue:
Company-operated restaurants	$	85,951		$	500,531		$	586,482		$	600,958
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		10,990			151,588			162,578			181,813
Total revenue		96,941			652,119			749,060			782,771
Operating costs and expenses:
Restaurant operating costs		69,805			415,255			485,060			482,744
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other		5,206			115,089			120,295			137,826
Advertising		4,848			29,647			34,495			35,772
General and administrative		19,656			58,806			78,462			72,084
Facility action charges, net		137			590			727			2,502
Other operating expenses, net		19,661			10,249			29,910			—
Total operating costs and expenses		119,313			629,636			748,949			730,928
Operating (loss) income		(22,372	)		22,483			111			51,843
Interest expense		(5,856	)		(8,617	)		(14,473	)		(8,404	)
Other income (expense), net		144			(13,609	)		(13,465	)		1,287
(Loss) income before income taxes		(28,084	)		257			(27,827	)		44,726
Income tax (benefit) expense		(5,437	)		7,772			2,335			18,081
Net (loss) income	$	(22,647	)	$	(7,515	)	$	(30,162	)	$	26,645
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA (1):
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	85,951		$	500,531		$	586,482		$	600,958
Less: restaurant operating costs		(69,805	)		(415,255	)		(485,060	)		(482,744	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		4,049			30,412			34,461			33,383
Less: advertising expense		(4,848	)		(29,647	)		(34,495	)		(35,772	)
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA	$	15,347		$	86,041		$	101,388		$	115,825
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin		17.9	%		17.2	%		17.3	%		19.3	%
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA (1):
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	10,990		$	151,588		$	162,578		$	181,813
Less: franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense		(5,206	)		(115,089	)		(120,295	)		(137,826	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		629			1,388			2,017			1,833
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA	$	6,413		$	37,887		$	44,300		$	45,820

___________

(1) Refer to definitions of company-operated restaurant-level non-GAAP measures and franchise non-GAAP measures within subheading “Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

28

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Carl’s Jr. Quarter:	Successor			Predecessor			Successor/ Predecessor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	45,145		$	89,100		$	134,245		$	143,551
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue		4,349			33,357			37,706			57,595
Total revenue		49,494			122,457			171,951			201,146
Restaurant operating costs:
Food and packaging		13,030			26,283			39,313			40,636
Payroll and other employee benefits		12,424			25,197			37,621			38,593
Occupancy and other		11,182			22,761			33,943			34,654
Total restaurant operating costs		36,636			74,241			110,877			113,883
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses		2,504			29,183			31,687			49,880
Advertising expense		2,749			5,386			8,135			8,690
General and administrative expense		9,035			9,054			18,089			13,845
Facility action charges, net		40			137			177			1,338
Gain on sale of Distribution Center assets		—			(3,442	)		(3,442	)		—
Operating (loss) income	$	(1,470	)	$	7,898		$	6,428		$	13,510
Company-operated average unit volume (trailing-13 periods)							$	1,389		$	1,486
Franchise-operated average unit volume (trailing-13 periods)							$	1,103		$	1,145
Company-operated same-store sales decrease								(7.4	)%		(6.1	)%
Franchise-operated same-store sales decrease								(5.0	)%		(6.6	)%
Company-operated same-store transaction decrease								(5.0	)%		(4.9	)%
Company-operated average check (actual $)							$	6.89		$	7.04
Restaurant operating costs as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue:
Food and packaging								29.3	%		28.3	%
Payroll and other employee benefits								28.0	%		26.9	%
Occupancy and other								25.3	%		24.1	%
Total restaurant operating costs								82.6	%		79.3	%
Advertising expense as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue								6.1	%		6.1	%
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA (1):
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	45,145		$	89,100		$	134,245		$	143,551
Less: restaurant operating costs		(36,636	)		(74,241	)		(110,877	)		(113,883	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		2,133			4,929			7,062			7,202
Less: advertising expense		(2,749	)		(5,386	)		(8,135	)		(8,690	)
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA	$	7,893		$	14,402		$	22,295		$	28,180
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin		17.5	%		16.2	%		16.6	%		19.6	%
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA (1):
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	4,349		$	33,357		$	37,706		$	57,595
Less: franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense		(2,504	)		(29,183	)		(31,687	)		(49,880	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		300			210			510			445
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA	$	2,145		$	4,384		$	6,529		$	8,160

___________

(1) Refer to definitions of company-operated restaurant-level non-GAAP measures and franchise non-GAAP measures within subheading “Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

29

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Carl’s Jr. Year To Date:	Successor			Predecessor			Successor/ Predecessor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	45,145		$	271,379		$	316,524		$	335,619
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue		4,349			111,855			116,204			133,415
Total revenue		49,494			383,234			432,728			469,034
Restaurant operating costs:
Food and packaging		13,030			80,105			93,135			94,772
Payroll and other employee benefits		12,424			76,624			89,048			90,323
Occupancy and other		11,182			67,654			78,836			78,858
Total restaurant operating costs		36,636			224,383			261,019			263,953
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses		2,504			98,565			101,069			116,553
Advertising expense		2,749			16,620			19,369			20,319
General and administrative expense		9,035			26,909			35,944			32,453
Facility action charges, net		40			168			208			1,749
Gain on sale of Distribution Center assets		—			(3,442	)		(3,442	)		—
Operating (loss) income	$	(1,470	)	$	20,031		$	18,561		$	34,007
Company-operated same-store sales decrease								(6.6	)%		(5.6	)%
Franchise-operated same-store sales decrease								(4.2	)%		(6.1	)%
Company-operated same-store transaction decrease								(4.3	)%		(4.7	)%
Company-operated average check (actual $)							$	6.83		$	6.98
Restaurant operating costs as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue:
Food and packaging								29.4	%		28.2	%
Payroll and other employee benefits								28.1	%		26.9	%
Occupancy and other								24.9	%		23.5	%
Total restaurant operating costs								82.5	%		78.6	%
Advertising expense as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue								6.1	%		6.1	%
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA (1):
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	45,145		$	271,379		$	316,524		$	335,619
Less: restaurant operating costs		(36,636	)		(224,383	)		(261,019	)		(263,953	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		2,133			14,834			16,967			16,515
Less: advertising expense		(2,749	)		(16,620	)		(19,369	)		(20,319	)
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA	$	7,893		$	45,210		$	53,103		$	67,862
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin		17.5	%		16.7	%		16.8	%		20.2	%
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA (1):
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	4,349		$	111,855		$	116,204		$	133,415
Less: franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense		(2,504	)		(98,565	)		(101,069	)		(116,553	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		300			752			1,052			1,040
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA	$	2,145		$	14,042		$	16,187		$	17,902

___________

(1) Refer to definitions of company-operated restaurant-level non-GAAP measures and franchise non-GAAP measures within subheading “Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

30

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

The following table shows the change in our restaurant portfolio for the trailing-13 periods ended August 9, 2010:

	Company-operated			Franchised			Licensed			Total
Open at August 10, 2009		421			664			127			1,212
New		8			22			19			49
Closed		(7	)		(12	)		(3	)		(22	)
Divested		—			(1	)		—			(1	)
Acquired		1			—			—			1
Open at August 9, 2010		423			673			143			1,239

Company-Operated Restaurants Revenue:

Revenue from company-operated Carl’s Jr. restaurants decreased $9,306, or 6.5%, to $134,245 during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009. This decrease was primarily due to the 7.4% decrease in same-store sales for the quarter, partially offset by the revenues generated from new company-operated restaurants opened since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

Revenue from company-operated Carl’s Jr. restaurants decreased $19,095, or 5.7%, to $316,524 during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period. This decrease was primarily due to the 6.6% decrease in same-store sales from the comparable prior year period, partially offset by the revenues generated from new company-operated restaurants opened since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

Company-Operated Restaurant-Level Adjusted EBITDA Margin:

The changes in the company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin are summarized as follows:

	Twelve Weeks			Twenty-Eight Weeks
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin for the period ended August 10, 2009		19.6	%		20.2	%
Increase in food and packaging costs		(1.0	)		(1.2	)
Payroll and other employee benefits:
Increase in labor costs, excluding workers’ compensation		(0.9	)		(1.0	)
Increase in workers’ compensation expense		(0.2	)		(0.2	)
Occupancy and other (excluding depreciation and amortization):
Increase in rent expense		(0.6	)		(0.5	)
Increase in utilities expense		(0.3	)		(0.1	)
Decrease in general liability insurance expense		0.3			0.1
Increase in property tax expense		(0.2	)		(0.2	)
Other, net		(0.1	)		(0.3	)
Advertising expense		—			—
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin for the period ended August 9, 2010		16.6	%		16.8	%

Food and Packaging Costs:

Food and packaging costs increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, due primarily to increased commodity costs for beef, cheese and pork products. Food and packaging costs increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, due primarily to increased commodity costs for beef, cheese, produce and pork.

31

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Labor Costs:

Labor costs, excluding workers’ compensation, increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, from the comparable prior year periods, due primarily to the deleveraging impact of the decrease in same-store sales and the relatively fixed nature of restaurant management costs.

Occupancy and Other Costs:

Depreciation and amortization expense increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, from the comparable prior year periods, mainly due to asset additions related to remodels, new store openings and equipment upgrades, as well as the deleveraging impact of the decrease in same-store sales and the relatively fixed nature of depreciation and amortization expense.

Rent expense increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, from the comparable prior year periods, due mainly to the deleveraging impact of the decrease in same-store sales and the relatively fixed nature of rent expense.

Utilities expense increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, mainly due to the deleveraging impact of the decrease in same-store sales.

General liability insurance decreased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, due to the impact of favorable claims reserves adjustments recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2011, as a result of a quarterly actuarial analysis of outstanding claims reserves, compared to an unfavorable adjustment recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

Franchised and Licensed Restaurants:

Carl’s Jr. Quarter:	Successor		Predecessor		Successor/ Predecessor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue:
Royalties	$	2,493	$	5,002	$	7,495	$	7,529
Distribution centers		—		25,018		25,018		44,620
Rent		1,763		3,144		4,907		5,090
Franchise fees		93		193		286		356
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	4,349	$	33,357	$	37,706	$	57,595
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses:
Administrative expense (including provision for bad debts)	$	966	$	1,315	$	2,281	$	1,575
Distribution centers		—		25,051		25,051		43,982
Rent and other occupancy		1,538		2,817		4,355		4,323
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses	$	2,504	$	29,183	$	31,687	$	49,880

Total franchised and licensed restaurants revenue decreased $19,889, or 34.5%, to $37,706 during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009. Distribution center sales of food, packaging and supplies to franchisees decreased by $19,602, due to the outsourcing of our Carl’s Jr. distribution center operations beginning July 2, 2010. Royalty revenues remained consistent with the prior year, as the impact of a 5.0% decrease in franchise-operated same-store sales was largely offset by the net increase of 25 franchised and licensed restaurants since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

32

Franchised and licensed operating and other expenses decreased $18,193, or 36.5%, to $31,687 during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, from the comparable prior year period. This decrease is due to an $18,931 decrease in distribution center costs resulting from the outsourcing of our Carl’s Jr. distribution center operations. This decrease was partially offset by an increase of $706 in administrative expense from the comparable prior year period, which includes an increase of $299 in amortization expense related to intangible assets recorded in connection with the Merger.

Carl’s Jr. Year To Date:	Successor		Predecessor		Successor/ Predecessor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue:
Royalties	$	2,493	$	15,068	$	17,561	$	17,287
Distribution centers		—		86,891		86,891		103,956
Rent		1,763		9,421		11,184		11,469
Franchise fees		93		475		568		703
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	4,349	$	111,855	$	116,204	$	133,415
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses:
Administrative expense (including provision for bad debts)	$	966	$	3,722	$	4,688	$	3,927
Distribution centers		—		86,170		86,170		102,412
Rent and other occupancy		1,538		8,673		10,211		10,214
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses	$	2,504	$	98,565	$	101,069	$	116,553

Total franchised and licensed restaurants revenue decreased $17,211, or 12.9%, to $116,204 during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. Distribution center sales of food, packaging and supplies to franchisees decreased by $17,065, due to the outsourcing of our Carl’s Jr. distribution center operations beginning July 2, 2010. Royalty revenues increased by $274, or 1.6%, due to a net increase of 25 franchised and licensed restaurants since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010, partially offset by a decrease of 4.2% in franchise-operated same-store sales.

Franchised and licensed operating and other expenses decreased $15,484, or 13.3%, to $101,069 during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period. This decrease is mainly due to a $16,242 decrease in distribution center costs resulting from the outsourcing of our Carl’s Jr. distribution center operations. This decrease was partially offset by an increase of $761 in administrative expense from the comparable prior year period, which includes an increase of $299 in amortization expense related to intangible assets recorded in connection with the Merger.

33

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Hardee’s Quarter:	Successor			Predecessor			Successor/ Predecessor				Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twelve Weeks Ended August 9, 2010				Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	40,790		$	80,392		$	121,182		$	114,188
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue		6,602			13,974			20,576			20,443
Total revenue		47,392			94,366			141,758			134,631
Restaurant operating costs:
Food and packaging		12,272			24,311			36,583			33,237
Payroll and other employee benefits		11,915			23,863			35,778			33,764
Occupancy and other		8,958			16,909			25,867			27,059
Total restaurant operating costs		33,145			65,083			98,228			94,060
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses		2,702			6,139			8,841			8,453
Advertising expense		2,099			4,444			6,543			6,315
General and administrative expense		10,621			10,986			21,607			17,089
Facility action charges, net		97			(410	)		(313	)		116
Operating (loss) income	$	(1,272	)	$	8,124		$	6,852		$	8,598
Company-operated average unit volume (trailing-13 periods)							$	1,019		$	1,006
Franchise-operated average unit volume (trailing-13 periods)							$	983		$	981
Company-operated same-store sales increase (decrease)								6.8	%		(2.7	)%
Franchise-operated same-store sales increase (decrease)								2.3	%		(0.2	)%
Company-operated same-store transaction increase (decrease)								3.3	%		(0.2	)%
Company-operated average check (actual $)							$	5.28		$	5.14
Restaurant operating costs as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue:
Food and packaging								30.2	%		29.1	%
Payroll and other employee benefits								29.5	%		29.6	%
Occupancy and other								21.3	%		23.7	%
Total restaurant operating costs								81.1	%		82.4	%
Advertising expense as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue								5.4	%		5.5	%
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA (1):
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	40,790		$	80,392		$	121,182		$	114,188
Less: restaurant operating costs		(33,145	)		(65,083	)		(98,228	)		(94,060	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		1,916			5,107			7,023			7,388
Less: advertising expense		(2,099	)		(4,444	)		(6,543	)		(6,315	)
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA	$	7,462		$	15,972		$	23,434		$	21,201
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin		18.3	%		19.9	%		19.3	%		18.6	%
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA (1):
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	6,602		$	13,974		$	20,576		$	20,443
Less: franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense		(2,702	)		(6,139	)		(8,841	)		(8,453	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		329			216			545			354
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA	$	4,229		$	8,051		$	12,280		$	12,344

_________

(1) Refer to definitions of company-operated restaurant-level non-GAAP measures and franchise non-GAAP measures within subheading “Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

34

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Hardee’s Year To Date:	Successor			Predecessor			Successor/ Predecessor			Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 9, 2010			Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	40,790		$	229,043		$	269,833		$	265,203
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue		6,602			39,480			46,082			48,038
Total revenue		47,392			268,523			315,915			313,241
Restaurant operating costs:
Food and packaging		12,272			68,842			81,114			77,583
Payroll and other employee benefits		11,915			70,498			82,413			79,364
Occupancy and other		8,958			51,378			60,336			61,671
Total restaurant operating costs		33,145			190,718			223,863			218,618
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses		2,702			16,524			19,226			21,273
Advertising expense		2,099			13,027			15,126			15,453
General and administrative expense		10,621			31,827			42,448			39,543
Facility action charges, net		97			369			466			753
Operating (loss) income	$	(1,272	)	$	16,058		$	14,786		$	17,601
Company-operated same-store sales increase								2.2	%		0.2	%
Franchise-operated same-store sales increase								0.9	%		1.6	%
Company-operated same-store transaction increase								1.0	%		1.1	%
Company-operated average check (actual $)							$	5.12		$	5.08
Restaurant operating costs as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue:
Food and packaging								30.1	%		29.3	%
Payroll and other employee benefits								30.5	%		29.9	%
Occupancy and other								22.4	%		23.3	%
Total restaurant operating costs								83.0	%		82.4	%
Advertising expense as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue								5.6	%		5.8	%
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA (1):
Company-operated restaurants revenue	$	40,790		$	229,043		$	269,833		$	265,203
Less: restaurant operating costs		(33,145	)		(190,718	)		(223,863	)		(218,618	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		1,916			15,578			17,494			16,868
Less: advertising expense		(2,099	)		(13,027	)		(15,126	)		(15,453	)
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA	$	7,462		$	40,876		$	48,338		$	48,000
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin		18.3	%		17.8	%		17.9	%		18.1	%
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA (1):
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	6,602		$	39,480		$	46,082		$	48,038
Less: franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense		(2,702	)		(16,524	)		(19,226	)		(21,273	)
Add: depreciation and amortization expense		329			636			965			793
Franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA	$	4,229		$	23,592		$	27,821		$	27,558

___________

(1) Refer to definitions of company-operated restaurant-level non-GAAP measures and franchise non-GAAP measures within subheading “Presentation of Non-GAAP Measures.”

35

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

The following table shows the change in our restaurant portfolio for the trailing-13 periods ended August 9, 2010:

	Company-operated			Franchised			Licensed			Total
Open at August 10, 2009		478			1,231			206			1,915
New		2			10			8			20
Closed		(7	)		(20	)		(10	)		(37	)
Divested		(1	)		—			—			(1	)
Acquired		—			1			—			1
Open at August 9, 2010		472			1,222			204			1,898

Company-Operated Restaurants Revenue:

Revenue from company-operated Hardee’s restaurants increased $6,994, or 6.1%, to $121,182 during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, from the comparable prior year period. The increase is primarily due to the 6.8% increase in company-operated same-store sales, partially offset by the net decrease of six restaurants since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

During the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, revenue from company-operated restaurants increased $4,630, or 1.7%, to $269,833 as compared to the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. The increase is primarily due to the 2.2% increase in company-operated same-store sales, partially offset by the net decrease of six restaurants since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

Company-Operated Restaurant-Level Adjusted EBITDA Margin:

The changes in the company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin are summarized as follows:

	Twelve Weeks			Twenty-Eight Weeks
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin for the period ended August 10, 2009		18.6	%		18.1	%
Increase in food and packaging costs		(1.1	)		(0.8	)
Payroll and other employee benefits:
Decrease (increase) in labor costs, excluding workers’ compensation		0.3			(0.4	)
Increase in workers’ compensation expense		(0.2	)		(0.2	)
Occupancy and other (excluding depreciation and amortization):
Decrease in repairs and maintenance		0.6			0.2
Decrease in utilities expense		0.5			0.6
Decrease in general liability insurance expense		0.3			0.1
Other, net		0.2			0.1
Advertising expense		0.1			0.2
Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin for the period ended August 9, 2010		19.3	%		17.9	%

Food and Packaging Costs:

Food and packaging costs increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year periods, mainly due to an increase in commodity costs for pork, beef, and dairy products.

36

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Labor Costs:

Labor costs, excluding workers’ compensation expense, decreased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, due primarily to sales leverage and the relatively fixed nature of restaurant management costs. Labor costs, excluding workers’ compensation expense, increased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, due primarily to the impact of minimum wage rate increases that took place in the second quarter of fiscal 2010, partially offset by the sales leverage and the relatively fixed nature of restaurant management costs.

Occupancy and Other Costs:

Depreciation and amortization expense decreased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, from the comparable prior year period, due primarily to sales leverage and impacts of acquisition accounting related to the Merger, partially offset by asset additions from remodels and equipment upgrades.

Repairs and maintenance expense decreased as a percent of company-operated restaurants revenue during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, mainly due to sales leverage as well as slightly higher repairs and maintenance costs in the prior year period.

Utilities expense decreased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants during the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year periods, mainly due natural gas and electricity rate decreases.

General liability insurance decreased as a percentage of company-operated restaurants during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period, due to the impact of a larger favorable claims reserves adjustments recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2011, as a result of a quarterly actuarial analysis of outstanding claims reserves, compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

Franchised and Licensed Restaurants:

Hardee’s Quarter:	Successor		Predecessor		Successor/ Predecessor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Eight Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twelve Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue:
Royalties	$	4,369	$	8,523	$	12,892	$	12,623
Distribution centers		1,140		3,707		4,847		4,789
Rent		993		1,684		2,677		2,764
Franchise fees		100		60		160		267
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	6,602	$	13,974	$	20,576	$	20,443
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses:
Administrative expense (including provision for bad debts)	$	739	$	1,140	$	1,879	$	1,633
Distribution centers		1,166		3,751		4,917		4,663
Rent and other occupancy		797		1,248		2,045		2,157
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses	$	2,702	$	6,139	$	8,841	$	8,453

37

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Total franchised and licensed restaurants revenue increased $133 or 0.7%, to $20,576 during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period. This increase is mainly due to an increase in royalty revenues resulting from an increase in our franchise-operated same-store sales partially offset by net decrease of 11 franchised and licensed restaurants since the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2010.

Franchised and licensed operating and other expenses increased $388, or 4.6%, to $8,841, during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period. This increase in costs is mainly due to an increase in administrative expense of $246 mainly due to an increase in amortization expense related to intangible assets recorded in connection with the Merger, and an increase of $254 in our distribution center costs primarily caused by a change in our sales mix to franchisees and third parties.

Hardee’s Year To Date:	Successor		Predecessor		Successor/ Predecessor		Predecessor
	Four Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twenty-Four Weeks Ended July 12, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue:
Royalties	$	4,369	$	24,702	$	29,071	$	28,389
Distribution centers		1,140		9,220		10,360		12,610
Rent		993		5,187		6,180		6,408
Franchise fees		100		371		471		631
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue	$	6,602	$	39,480	$	46,082	$	48,038
Franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses:
Administrative expense (including provision for bad debts)	$	739	$	3,320	$	4,059	$	3,919
Distribution centers		1,166		9,352		10,518		12,452
Rent and other occupancy		797		3,852		4,649		4,902
Total franchised and licensed restaurants and other expenses	$	2,702	$	16,524	$	19,226	$	21,273

Total franchised and licensed restaurants revenue decreased $1,956, or 4.1%, to $46,082 during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period. This decrease is mainly due to the decline in distribution center revenues of $2,250 resulting from a decrease in equipment sales to franchisees associated with new restaurants as well as a decrease in equipment sales to third parties. Rent revenue decreased $228, or 3.6%, primarily due to the expiration of certain subleases with franchisees whereby the leased facilities were renewed  by the franchisee directly with the landlord. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in royalty revenues of $682 which is due primarily to an increase in royalties generated from our international licensees.

Franchised and licensed operating and other expenses decreased $2,047, or 9.6%, to $19,226, during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the prior year period. This decrease in costs is mainly due to a decrease of $1,934 in distribution center expenses resulting from the decrease in distribution center sales to franchisees and third parties. Additionally, rent expense decreased $253, or 5.2%, due primarily to the expiration of certain master leases related to franchise-subleased restaurants whereby the franchise-leased facilities were renewed directly with the landlord.

38

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Consolidated Expenses

General and Administrative Expense

General and administrative expenses increased $8,748, or 28.2%, to $39,719, and increased 3.5% to 12.7% of total revenue, for the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009. This was mainly due to an increase of $10,904 in share-based compensation expense resulting primarily from the acceleration of vesting of stock options and restricted stock awards in connection with the Merger. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of $1,554 in bonus expense, which is based on our performance relative to executive management and operations bonus criteria. Additionally, as a result of implementing various cost-reduction initiatives, we reduced general corporate expenses by $411.

General and administrative expenses increased $6,378, or 8.8%, to $78,462, and increased 1.3% to 10.5% of total revenue, for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, as compared to the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. This was mainly due to an increase of $11,194 in share-based compensation expense resulting primarily from the acceleration of vesting of stock options and restricted stock awards in connection with the Merger. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of $2,716 in bonus expense, which is based on our performance relative to executive management and operations bonus criteria. Additionally, as a result of implementing various cost-reduction initiatives, we reduced general corporate expenses by $1,765.

Other Operating Expenses, Net

During the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, we recorded transaction-related costs of $26,784 and $33,352, respectively, for accounting, investment banking, legal and other costs associated with the Transactions. During the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, these transaction-related costs were partially offset by a gain of $3,442 on the sale of our Distribution Center assets.

See discussion of the termination of our prior merger agreement with an affiliate of Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. (“THL”) in “other income (expense), net”.

Other Income (Expense), Net

During the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, we recorded $418 of other income, net as compared to other income, net of $425 during the twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009. During the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, we recorded $13,465 of other expense, net as compared to other income, net of $1,287 during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. The change in other income (expense), net is primarily attributable to the termination fee for a prior merger agreement with an affiliate of THL of $9,283 and $5,000 in reimbursable costs.

Interest Expense

During the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010, interest expense increased $7,388, to $9,448, as compared to the twelve weeks ended August 10, 2009. This increase was primarily caused by the interest incurred on our senior secured second lien notes in connection with the Transactions. Additionally, we recorded a $1,743 charge to interest expense during the twelve weeks ended August 9, 2010 to adjust the carrying value of our interest rate swap agreements to fair value. Comparatively, in the prior year period, we recorded a $1,079 reduction of interest expense to adjust the carrying value of our interest rate swap agreements to fair value. See Note 7 of the accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional detail of the components of interest expense.

During the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, interest expense increased $6,069, or 72.2%, to $14,473, as compared to the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009. This increase was primarily caused by the interest incurred on our senior secured second lien notes in connection with the Transactions. Additionally, this increase was caused by an increase of $1,797 in the charge to adjust the carrying value of our interest rate swap agreements to fair value, as compared to the prior year period. See Note 7 of the accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for additional detail of the components of interest expense.

39

Income Tax (Benefit) Expense

Our effective income tax rate for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of non-deductible transaction costs and share-based compensation.  Our effective income tax rate for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 differs from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of state income taxes and certain expenses that are nondeductible for income tax purposes.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview:

Our operating cash requirements consist principally of our food and packaging purchases, labor, and occupancy costs; capital expenditures for restaurant remodels, new restaurant construction and replacement of equipment; debt service requirements; advertising expenditures; and general and administrative expenses. We expect that our cash on hand and future cash flows from operations will provide sufficient liquidity to allow us to meet our operating and capital requirements and service our existing debt. As of August 9, 2010, we have $31,009 in cash and cash equivalents and $65,135 in available commitments under our Credit Facility to help meet our operating and capital requirements.

We believe our most significant cash use during the next 12 months will be for capital expenditures and debt service requirements. Based on our current capital spending projections, we expect capital expenditures to be between $65,000 and $75,000 for fiscal 2011. We are required to make semi-annual interest payments on our Notes of approximately $34,125. As discussed below, our Credit Facility matures on July 12, 2015 and our Notes mature on July 15, 2018.

Credit Facility:

Our Credit Facility provides for senior secured revolving facility loans, swingline loans and letters of credit, in an aggregate amount of up to $100,000. The Credit Facility bears interest at a rate equal to, at our option, either: (1) the higher of Morgan Stanley’s “prime rate” plus 2.75% or the federal funds rate, as defined in our Credit Facility, plus 3.25%, or (2) the LIBOR plus 3.75%. The Credit Facility matures on July 12, 2015, at which time all outstanding revolving facility loans and accrued and unpaid interest must be repaid. As of August 9, 2010, we had no outstanding loan borrowings, $34,865 of outstanding letters of credit, and remaining availability of $65,135 under our Credit Facility.

Pursuant to the terms of our Credit Facility, during each fiscal year our capital expenditures cannot exceed the sum of (1) the greater of (i) $100,000 and (ii) 8.5% of our consolidated gross total tangible assets as of the end of such fiscal year plus, without duplication, (2) 10% of certain assets acquired in permitted acquisitions during such fiscal year (the "Acquired Assets Amount") and, (3) for the immediately following fiscal year, 5% of the Acquired Assets Amount, calculated on a cumulative basis. In addition, the annual base amount of permitted capital expenditures may be increased by an amount equal to any cumulative credit (as defined in the Credit Facility) which the Company elects to apply for this purpose and may be carried-back and/or carried-forward subject to the terms set forth in the Credit Facility.

The terms of our Credit Facility also include financial performance covenants, which include a maximum secured leverage ratio, a specified minimum interest coverage ratio and certain other restrictive covenants.

40

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

The Credit Facility contains covenants that restrict our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to: incur additional indebtedness; pay dividends on our capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire our capital stock or indebtedness; make investments, loans, advances and acquisitions; create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to us from our subsidiaries; sell assets, including capital stock of our subsidiaries; consolidate or merge; create liens; enter into sale and leaseback transactions; amend, modify or permit the amendment or modification of any senior secured second lien note documents; engage in certain transactions with our affiliates; issue capital stock; create subsidiaries; and change the business conducted by us or our subsidiaries.

We were in compliance with the covenants of our Credit Facility as of August 9, 2010.

The terms of our Credit Facility are not impacted by any changes in our credit rating. We believe the key Company-specific factors affecting our ability to maintain our existing debt financing relationships and to access such capital in the future are our present and expected levels of profitability, cash flows from operations, capital expenditures, asset collateral bases and the level of our Adjusted EBITDA relative to our debt obligations. In addition, as noted above, our Credit Facility includes significant restrictions on future financings including, among others, limits on the amount of indebtedness we may incur or which may be secured by any of our assets.

Senior Secured Second Lien Notes:

We have $600,000 in principal amount of senior secured second lien notes outstanding. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 11.375% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15, beginning on January 15, 2011. The Notes were issued with an original issue discount of 1.92%, or $11,490, and are recorded as long-term debt, net of original issue discount, in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of August 9, 2010 (Successor). The Notes mature on July 15, 2018.

The indenture governing the Notes contains restrictive covenants that limit our and our guarantor subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preferred equity; pay dividends, make capital stock distributions or other restricted payments; make certain investments; sell certain assets; create or incur liens on certain assets to secure debt; consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets; enter into certain transactions with affiliates; and designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries. Additionally, the indenture contains certain reporting covenants, which requires us to provide all such information required to be filed by the SEC in accordance with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amen ded (“Exchange Act”), as a non-accelerated filer, even if we are not specifically required to comply with such sections of the Exchange Act. Failure to comply with these covenants constitutes a default and may lead to the acceleration of the principal amount and accrued but unpaid interest on the Notes.

We may redeem the Notes prior to the maturity date based upon the following conditions: (1) prior to July 15, 2013, we may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes with the proceeds of certain equity offerings at a redemption price of 111.375% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, (2) during, in each of the 12-month periods beginning July 15, 2011, July 15, 2012, and July 15, 2013, we may redeem up to 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at a redemption price of 103% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, (3) on or after July 15, 2014, we may redeem all or any portion of the Notes during the 12-month periods commencing July 15, 2014, July 15, 2015, July 15, 2016 and July 15, 2017 and thereafter at a redemption price o f 105.688%, 102.844%, 101.422% and 100%, respectively, of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, and (4) prior to July 15, 2014, we may redeem all or any portion of the Notes at a price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus a make-whole premium and accrued and unpaid interest. Upon a change in control, the Note holders each have the right to require us to redeem their Notes at a redemption price of 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest.

41

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Cash Flows:

During the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, cash provided by operating activities totaled $4,208, a decrease of $91,072 from the prior year comparable period. This decrease is primarily attributable to the $56,807 decrease from net income of $26,645 for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 to a net loss of $30,162 for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 mainly due to the significant transaction-related costs incurred and post-combination share-based compensation expense recognized from the acceleration of stock options and restricted stock awards in connection with the Merger. Additionally, during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, we paid $14,844 to settle our interest rate swap agreements, which is i ncluded in the change in accounts payable and other current and long-term liabilities. The remainder of the cash flow changes are attributed primarily to changes in our working capital account balances, which can vary significantly from quarter to quarter, depending upon the timing of large customer receipts and payments to vendors, but they are not anticipated to be a significant source or use of cash over the long term.

Cash used in investing activities during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 totaled $711,274, which principally consisted of $693,478 for the acquisition of CKE Restaurants, Inc. in connection with the Merger. Additionally, we purchased $38,441 of property and equipment, and collected proceeds of $19,203 from the sale of the Carl’s Jr. Distribution Center assets.

Capital expenditures were as follows:

	Successor/ Predecessor		Predecessor
	Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 9, 2010		Twenty-Eight Weeks Ended August 10, 2009
Remodels:
Carl’s Jr.	$	2,046	$	4,560
Hardee’s		11,341		13,522
Capital Maintenance:
Carl’s Jr.		6,260		8,244
Hardee’s		8,662		9,071
New restaurants/rebuilds:
Carl’s Jr.		5,726		8,409
Hardee’s		1,577		1,587
Dual-branding:
Carl’s Jr.		444		461
Hardee’s		1,687		94
Real estate/franchise acquisitions		20		2,744
Corporate/other		678		9,035
Total	$	38,441	$	57,727

Capital expenditures for the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 decreased $19,286, or 33.4%, from the comparable prior year period mainly due to a $8,357 decrease in corporate and other asset additions, a $4,695 decrease in restaurant remodels, a $2,724 decrease in real estate and franchise additions, a $2,693 decrease in new restaurants and rebuilds and a $2,393 decrease in capital maintenance.

Cash provided by financing activities during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 totaled $719,829 as compared to cash used by financing activities during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 10, 2009 of $41,302. During the twenty eight weeks ended August 9, 2010, we received proceeds from the issuance of Notes, net of discount, of $588,510 and equity contributions of $450,000 in connection with the Transactions. Additionally, we made net payments of $277,432 to fully repay our Predecessor term loan and borrowings under our Predecessor revolving credit facility during the twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010.

42

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Critical Accounting Policies

Our reported results are impacted by the application of certain accounting policies that require us to make subjective or complex judgments. These judgments involve making estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may significantly impact our consolidated financial position and results of operations. See our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2010 for a description of our critical accounting policies. Specific risks associated with these critical accounting policies are described in the following paragraphs.

Impairment of Property and Equipment and Other Amortizable Long-Lived Assets Held and Used, Held for Sale or To Be Disposed of Other Than By Sale

In connection with analyzing long-lived assets to determine if they have been impaired, we estimate future cash flows for each of our restaurants based upon experience gained, current intentions about refranchising restaurants and closures, expected sales trends, internal plans and other relevant information. These estimates utilize key assumptions, such as same-store sales and the rates at which restaurant operating costs will increase in the future. If our same-store sales do not perform at or above our forecasted level, or if restaurant operating cost increases exceed our forecast and we are unable to recover such costs through price increases, the carrying value of certain of our restaurants may prove to be unrecoverable and we may incur additional impairment charges in the future.

Impairment of Goodwill

As of January 31, 2010, we had $24,589 of goodwill recorded in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet (Predecessor). During the first quarter of fiscal 2011, we evaluated our goodwill at the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s brands. As a result of our annual impairment test, we concluded that the fair value of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s reporting units substantially exceeded the carrying value, and thus no impairment charge was required in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Predecessor).

We have recorded a preliminary estimate of our goodwill for Successor on the acquisition date of the Merger of $188,194 for the excess of the purchase price consideration over the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the Merger. The estimated purchase price allocation is subject to revision based on additional valuation work that is being conducted and could change materially. Any subsequent changes to the purchase price allocations that result in material changes to our consolidated financial results will be adjusted retrospectively.

We plan to perform an annual impairment test on our indefinite-lived intangible assets using a relief from royalty method to determine the fair value of each of our indefinite-lived trademarks/tradenames. We recognize an impairment loss for the indefinite-lived intangible assets if the carrying value exceeds the fair value. Significant management judgment is necessary to determine key assumptions, including projected revenue, royalty rates and appropriate discount rates.

Estimated Liability for Closed Restaurants

In determining the amount of the estimated liability for closed restaurants, we estimate the cost to maintain leased vacant properties until the lease can be abated. If the costs to maintain properties increase, or it takes longer than anticipated to sublease or terminate leases, we may need to record additional estimated liabilities. If the leases on the vacant restaurants are not terminated or subleased on the terms that we used to estimate the liabilities, we may be required to record losses in future periods. Conversely, if the leases on the vacant restaurants are terminated or subleased on more favorable terms than we used to estimate the liabilities, we reverse previously established estimated liabilities, resulting in an increase in operating income.

43

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Estimated Liability for Self-Insurance

If we experience a higher than expected number of claims or the costs of claims rise more than the estimates used by management, developed with the assistance of our actuary, our reserves would require adjustment and we would be required to adjust the expected losses upward and increase our future self-insurance expense.

Our actuary provides us with estimated unpaid losses for each loss category, upon which our analysis is based. As of August 9, 2010 and January 25, 2010, our estimated liability for self-insured workers’ compensation, general and auto liability losses was $36,860 and $37,228, respectively.

Franchised and Licensed Operations

We have sublease agreements with some of our franchisees on properties for which we remain principally liable for the lease obligations. If sales trends or economic conditions worsen for our franchisees, their financial health may worsen, our collection rates may decline and we may be required to assume the responsibility for additional lease payments on franchised restaurants. The likelihood of needing to increase the estimated liability for future lease obligations is primarily related to the success of our Hardee’s concept, although we can provide no assurance that our Carl’s Jr. franchisees will not experience a similar level of financial difficulties as our Hardee’s franchisees.

Income Taxes

When necessary, we record a valuation allowance to reduce our net deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. In considering the need for a valuation allowance against some portion or all of our deferred tax assets, we must make certain estimates and assumptions regarding future taxable income, the feasibility of tax planning strategies and other factors. Changes in facts and circumstances or in the estimates and assumptions that are involved in establishing and maintaining a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets could result in adjustments to the valuation allowance in future quarterly or annual periods.

We use an estimate of our annual income tax rate to recognize a provision for income taxes in financial statements for interim periods. However, changes in facts and circumstances could result in adjustments to our effective tax rate in future quarterly or annual periods.

Significant Known Events, Trends, or Uncertainties Expected to Impact Fiscal 2011 Comparisons with Fiscal 2010

The factors discussed below impact comparability of operating performance for the twelve and twenty-eight weeks ended August 9, 2010 and August 10, 2009, or could impact comparisons for the remainder of fiscal 2011.

Merger and Transactions

In connection with the Transactions, we incurred significant additional indebtedness, including $600,000 in principal amount of senior secured second lien notes that bear interest at a rate of 11.375% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15. In addition, our credit facility provides for aggregate borrowings up to $100,000 in senior secured revolving facility loans, swingline loans and letters of credit. Immediately prior to the Transactions, our indebtedness was significantly less.  The changes in our indebtedness will cause our interest expense to be significantly higher following the Transactions than experienced in prior periods.

The acquisition of CKE Restaurants, Inc. is being accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting, whereby the purchase price was preliminarily allocated to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, based on their estimated fair market values as of July 12, 2010. The fair value changes in our tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed are expected cause changes to our future operating results when compared to our historical results.

44

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

As of August 9, 2010, the purchase price allocation is preliminary and could change materially in subsequent periods. Any subsequent changes to the purchase price allocation that result in material changes to our consolidated financial results will be adjusted retrospectively. The final purchase price allocation is pending the receipt of valuation work and the completion of the Company’s internal review of such work, which is expected to be completed during fiscal 2011. The provisional items pending finalization are the valuation of our property and equipment, operating lease intangible assets and liabilities, capital lease assets and obligations, intangible assets, goodwill and income tax related matters.

The discussion and analysis of the Company’s historical financial condition and results of operations covers periods prior to the consummation of the Transactions. Accordingly, the discussion and analysis of such periods does not reflect the significant impact the Transactions will have on the Company.

Sale of Carl’s Jr. Distribution Center Assets

On July 2, 2010, we entered into an agreement sell to MBM our Carl’s Jr. Distribution Center Assets. Simultaneously, on July 2, 2010, we and our franchisees entered into distribution agreements with MBM to provide distribution services to our Carl’s Jr. restaurants. As a result of the outsourcing of our Carl’s Jr. distribution services, we will no longer record distribution center revenues and the related expenses in our Carl’s Jr. operating segment.  During the eight and twenty-four weeks ended July 12, 2010, we recorded revenues of $25,018 and $86,891, respectively, from our Carl’s Jr. Distribution Center operations.  Refer to further discussion of the Carl’s Jr. operating segment included in “Operating Review”.

Fiscal Year and Seasonality

We operate on a retail accounting calendar. Our fiscal year ends the last Monday in January and typically has 13 four-week accounting periods. The first quarter of our fiscal year has four periods, or 16 weeks. All other quarters generally have three periods, or 12 weeks. Fiscal 2011 contains 53 weeks, whereby the additional week is included in our forth quarter.

Our restaurant sales, and therefore our profitability, are subject to seasonal fluctuations and are traditionally higher during the spring and summer months because of factors such as increased travel upon school vacations and improved weather conditions, which affect the public’s dining habits.

New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted and Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 3 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of the new accounting pronouncements that we have adopted. There are no new accounting pronouncements not yet adopted.

Presentation of Non-GAAP Measurements

We have included in this report measures of financial performance that are not defined by GAAP. Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA, company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin and franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures utilized by management internally to evaluate and compare our operating performance for company-operated restaurants and franchised and licensed restaurants between periods. Because not all companies calculate these measures identically, our presentation of such measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. These non-GAAP measures should be viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, the comparable GAAP measure. Each of these non-GAAP financial measures is deri ved from amounts reported within our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, and the computations of each of these measures have been included within our “Operating Results” section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis.

45

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

(Dollars in thousands)

Company-Operated Restaurant-Level Non-GAAP Measures

We define company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA, which is expressed in dollars, as company-operated restaurants revenue less restaurant operating costs excluding depreciation and amortization expense and including advertising expense. Restaurant operating costs are the expenses incurred directly by our company-operated restaurants in generating revenues and do not include advertising costs, general and administrative expenses or facility action charges. We define company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA margin, which is expressed as a percentage, as Company-operated restaurant-level adjusted EBITDA divided by company-operated restaurants revenue.

Franchise Restaurant Adjusted EBITDA

We define franchise restaurant adjusted EBITDA, which is expressed in dollars, as franchised and licensed restaurants and other revenue less franchised and licensed restaurants and other expense excluding depreciation and amortization expense.

Safe Harbor Disclosure

Matters discussed in this Form 10-Q contain forward-looking statements relating to future plans and developments, financial goals and operating performance and are based on our current beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict, are beyond our control, and which may cause results to differ materially from expectations. Factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described include, but are not limited to, our ability to compete with other restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores for customers, employees, restaurant locations and franchisees; changes in consumer preferences, perceptions and spending patterns; the ability of our key suppliers to continue to deliver premium-quality products to us at moderate prices; our ability to success fully enter new markets, complete remodels of existing restaurants and complete construction of new restaurants; changes in general economic conditions and the geographic concentration of our restaurants, which may affect our business; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; our franchisees' willingness to participate in the our strategy; the operational and financial success of our franchisees; our ability to expand into international markets and the risks associated with operating in international locations; changes in the price or availability of commodities; the effect of the media's reports regarding food-borne illnesses, food tampering and other health-related issues on our reputation and our ability to procure or sell food products; the seasonality of our operations; the effect of increasing labor costs including healthcare related costs; increased insurance and/or self-insurance costs; our ability to comply with existing and future health, employment, environmental and other government regul ations; the potentially conflicting interests of our sole stockholder and our creditors; our substantial leverage which could limit our ability to raise capital, react to economic changes or meet obligations under its indebtedness; the effect of restrictive covenants in our indenture and credit facility on our business; and other factors as discussed in our other filings with the SEC.  Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances arising after the date of this report.

46

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

Our principal exposures to financial market risks relate to the impact that interest rate changes could have on our senior secured revolving credit facility, which bears a floating interest rate and, therefore, our income statement and our cash flows will be exposed to changes in interest rates. As of August 9, 2010, our senior secured revolving credit facility remained undrawn. A hypothetical increase of 100 basis points in short-term interest rates in our floating rate would not have an impact on our interest expense. The sensitivity analysis assumes all other variables will remain constant in future periods.

Foreign Currency Risk

Our objective in managing our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations is to limit the impact of such fluctuations on earnings and cash flows. Our business at company-operated restaurants is transacted in U.S. dollars. Exposure outside of the U.S. relates primarily to the effect of foreign currency rate fluctuations on royalties and other fees paid by international licensees. As of August 9, 2010, our most significant exposure related to the Mexican Peso. Foreign exchange rate fluctuations have not historically had a significant impact on our results of operations.

Commodity Price Risk

We purchase certain products that are affected by commodity prices and are, therefore, subject to price volatility caused by weather, market conditions and other factors which are not considered predictable or within our control. Although these products are subject to changes in commodity prices, certain purchasing contracts or pricing arrangements contain risk management techniques designed to minimize price volatility. The purchasing contracts and pricing arrangements we use may result in unconditional purchase obligations, which are not reflected in our accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Typically, we use these types of purchasing techniques to control costs as an alternative to directly managing financial instruments to hedge commodity prices. In many cases, we believe we will be able to address material commodity co st increases by adjusting our menu pricing or changing our product delivery strategy. However, increases in commodity prices, without adjustments to our menu prices, could increase restaurant operating costs as a percentage of company-operated restaurants revenue.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that any system of controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, as ours are designed to do, and management necessarily was req uired to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

47

In connection with the preparation of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as of August 9, 2010, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, an d to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

(b) Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fiscal quarter ended August 9, 2010, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

Between March 1, 2010 and March 26, 2010, seven putative stockholder class actions were filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara against the Company, each of its directors, Thomas H. Lee Partners, LP (“THL”)  and its affiliates alleging the directors breached their fiduciary duties regarding a prior merger agreement (the “Prior Merger Agreement” or “Prior Merger”) with an affiliate of THL and that THL and its affiliates aided and abetted those breaches. On March 26, 2010, the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara consolidated the four cases filed in that court as In re CKE Restaurants, Inc. Shareholder Litigation, Lead Case No. 1342245 (the “California Action”). On March 29, 2010, the Delawa re Court of Chancery consolidated the three cases filed in that court as In re CKE Restaurants, Inc. Shareholder Litigation, Consolidated C.A. No. 5290-VCP (the “Delaware Action”).

On April 1, 2010, plaintiffs in the Delaware Action filed a consolidated complaint, and on April 8, 2010, plaintiffs in the California Action filed a consolidated complaint. On April 12, 2010, the Delaware Court of Chancery granted the Delaware Action plaintiffs’ motion for expedited proceedings and request for a hearing to consider preliminarily enjoining the Prior Merger. On April 16, 2010, the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Barbara granted the defendants’ motion for a stay of the California Action pending resolution of the Delaware Action.

On May 12, 2010, the plaintiffs in the Delaware Action filed an amended consolidated complaint against the Company, its directors, Apollo and its affiliates, Parent and Merger Sub, that drops the challenge to the Prior Merger Agreement and instead alleges the directors breached their fiduciary duties regarding the merger with Apollo (the “Merger” or “Merger Agreement”), including that the directors had breached their duty of disclosure in the preliminary proxy statement, and that Apollo and its affiliates aided and abetted those breaches. On May 12, 2010, the plaintiffs also filed a motion for expedited discovery and the scheduling of a hearing to preliminarily enjoin the Merger.

On or about May 25, 2010, we entered into an agreement in principle with the plaintiffs in the Delaware Action regarding the settlement of the Delaware Action. On or about June 7, 2010, the parties to Delaware Action informed that Court that they had reached a memorandum of understanding regarding settlement of the Delaware Action (the “MOU”). On or about June 8, 2010, the parties to the California Action reached an agreement in principle regarding settlement of the California Action.

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We believe that no further disclosure was required under applicable laws; however, to avoid the risk of the putative stockholder class actions delaying or adversely affecting the Merger and to minimize the expense of defending such actions, we agreed, pursuant to the terms of the proposed settlement described in the MOU, to make certain supplemental disclosures related to the Merger, all of which are set forth in our definitive proxy statement regarding the Merger filed on or about June 3, 2010.

Pursuant to the MOU, plaintiffs in the Delaware Action conducted discovery to confirm the fairness and adequacy of the proposed settlement of the Delaware Action.  On or about August 1, 2010, counsel for plaintiffs in the Delaware Action confirmed that such discovery had been satisfactory and that plaintiffs were agreeable to proceed with the settlement as outlined in the MOU. On September 13, 2010, the parties to the Delaware Action filed with the Delaware Court of Chancery a Stipulation and Agreement of Compromise, Settlement and Release regarding settlement of the Delaware Action (the “Stipulation of Settlement”).

The Stipulation of Settlement is subject to customary conditions, including court approval following notice to our former stockholders. The Delaware Court of Chancery has scheduled a hearing for November 18, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at which point the Court will consider the fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy of the settlement. If the settlement is finally approved by the Court, it will resolve and release all claims in all actions that were or could have been brought challenging any aspect of the Merger, the Merger Agreement, and any disclosure made in connection therewith (but excluding claims for appraisal under Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law), pursuant to terms that will be disclosed to stockholders prior to final approval of the settlement. In addition, the plaintiffs in the California Action have agreed to volunt arily dismiss their claims following final approval of the settlement of the Delaware Action.  Furthermore, in connection with the settlement, the parties contemplate that plaintiffs’ counsel will file a motion in the Delaware Court of Chancery for an award of attorneys’ fees and expenses to be paid by us, which the defendants may oppose. We shall pay or cause to be paid those attorneys’ fees and expenses awarded by the Delaware Court of Chancery. There can be no assurance that the Delaware Court of Chancery will approve the settlement even though the parties have entered into the Stipulation of Settlement. If the Court does not approve the proposed settlement, the proposed settlement as contemplated by the Stipulation of Settlement may be terminated.

The settlements of the Delaware Action and the California Action are not expected to materially impact our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

We are engaged in a business strategy that includes the long-term growth of our operations. The success of a business strategy, by its very nature, involves a significant number of risks and uncertainties. The risk factors listed below are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical results and from projections in forward-looking statements contained in this report, in our other filings with the SEC, in our news releases and in oral statements by our representatives. However, other factors that we do not anticipate or that we do not consider significant based on currently available information may also have an adverse effect on our results.

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Risk Factors Relating to our Company

Our success depends on our ability to compete with others.

The foodservice industry is intensely competitive with respect to the quality and value of food products offered, service, price, convenience, and dining experience. We compete with major restaurant chains, some of which dominate the quick service restaurant industry (“QSR”). Our competitors also include a variety of mid-price, full-service casual-dining restaurants, health and nutrition-oriented restaurants, delicatessens and prepared food restaurants, take-out food service companies, fast food restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores. In addition to competing with such companies for customers, we also must compete with them for access to qualified employees and management personnel, suitable restaurant locations and capable franchisees. Many of our competitors have substantially greater brand recognition, as well as greater financial, marketing, operating and other resources than we have, which may give them competitive advantages with respect to some or all of these areas of competition. Some of our competitors have engaged and may continue to engage in substantial price discounting, which may adversely impact our sales and operating results. As our competitors expand operations and marketing campaigns, we expect competition to intensify. Such increased competition could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Changes in consumer preferences and perceptions, economic, market and other conditions could adversely affect our operating results.

The QSR industry is affected by changes in economic conditions, consumer preferences and spending patterns, demographic trends, consumer perceptions of food safety, weather, traffic patterns, the type, number and location of competing restaurants, and other factors. Multi-location foodservice businesses such as ours can also be materially and adversely affected by publicity resulting from poor food quality, food tampering, illness, injury or other health concerns or operating issues stemming from one or a limited number of restaurants. We can be similarly affected by consumer concerns with respect to the nutritional value of quick-service food.

Our ability to anticipate and respond to trends and changes in consumer preferences may affect our future operating results. Additionally, current economic conditions may cause changes in consumer preferences, and if such economic conditions persist for an extended period of time, this may result in consumers making long-lasting changes to their spending behaviors. A number of our major competitors have been increasing their “value item” offerings and implementing certain pricing promotions for various other menu items. If consumer preference continues to shift towards these “value items,” it may become necessary for us to implement temporary promotional pricing offerings. If we implement such promotional offerings our operating margins may be adversely impacted. Any promotional offerings or temporary price cuts i mplemented by us are not expected to represent a permanent change in our business strategy, and would only be temporary in duration.

Factors such as interest rates, inflation, gasoline prices, commodity costs, labor and benefits costs, legal claims, and the availability of management and hourly employees also affect restaurant operations and administrative expenses. In particular, increases in interest rates may impact land and construction costs and the cost and availability of borrowed funds, and thereby adversely affect our ability and our franchisees’ ability to finance new restaurant development and improve existing restaurants. In addition, inflation can cause increased commodity and labor and benefits costs and can increase our operating expenses.

We depend on a limited number of key suppliers to deliver quality products to us at moderate prices.

Our profitability is dependent on, among other things, our continuing ability to offer premium-quality food at moderate prices. Our Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants depend on the distribution services of MBM, a third party national distributor of food and other products. MBM is responsible for delivering food, packaging and other products from our suppliers to our restaurants on a frequent and routine basis. MBM also provides distribution services to nearly all of our Carl’s Jr.’s and Hardee’s franchisees. Pursuant to the terms of our distribution agreement, we are obligated to purchase substantially all of our specified product requirements from MBM through June 30, 2017.

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Our suppliers may be adversely impacted by current economic conditions, such as the tightening of credit markets, decreased transaction volumes, fluctuating commodity prices and various other factors. As a result, our suppliers may seek to change the terms on which they do business with us in order to lessen the impact of any current and future economic challenges on their businesses. If we are forced to renegotiate the terms upon which we conduct business with our suppliers or find alternative suppliers to provide key services, it could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.

In addition, the current economic environment has forced some food suppliers to seek financing in order to stabilize their businesses, and others have ceased operations completely. If MBM or a large number of other suppliers suspend or cease operations, we may have difficulty keeping our restaurants fully supplied with the high quality ingredients we require. If we were forced to suspend serving one or more of our menu items that could have a significant adverse impact on our restaurant traffic and public perceptions of us, which would be harmful to our business.

Our financial results may be impacted by our ability to successfully enter new markets, select appropriate restaurant locations, construct new restaurants, complete remodels or renew leases with desirable terms.

Our growth strategy includes opening new restaurants in markets where we have relatively few or no existing restaurants. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully expand or acquire critical market presence for our brands in new geographical markets. Consumer characteristics and competition in new markets may differ substantially from those in the markets where we currently operate. Additionally, we may be unable to identify appropriate locations, develop brand recognition, successfully market our products or attract new customers. It may also be difficult for us to recruit and retain qualified personnel to manage restaurants. Should we not succeed in entering new markets, there may be adverse impacts to our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

Our strategic plan, and a component of our business strategy, includes the construction of new restaurants and the remodeling of existing restaurants. We face competition from other restaurant operators, retail chains, companies and developers for desirable site locations, which may adversely affect the cost, implementation and timing of our expansion plans. If we experience delays in the construction or remodel processes, we may be unable to complete such activities at the planned cost, which would adversely affect our future results of operations. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that such remodels will increase the revenues generated by these restaurants or that any such increases will be sustainable. Likewise, we cannot be sure that the sites we select for new restaurants will result in restaurants whose sales results meet our expec tations.

We lease a substantial number of our restaurant properties. The terms of our leases and subleases vary in length, with primary terms (i.e., before consideration of option periods) expiring on various dates through fiscal 2036. We do not expect the expiration of these leases to have a material impact on our operations in any particular year, as the expiration dates are staggered over a number of years and many of the leases contain renewal options. As our leases and available option periods expire, we will need to negotiate new leases with our landlords for those leased restaurants that we intend to continue operating. If we are unable to negotiate acceptable lease terms for them, we may decide to close the restaurants, or the new lease terms may negatively impact our consolidated results of operations.

Our business may be adversely impacted by economic conditions and the geographic concentration of our restaurants.

Our financial condition and results of operations are dependent upon consumer discretionary spending, which is influenced by general economic conditions. Worldwide economic conditions and consumer spending have deteriorated and may not fully recover for some time. Current economic conditions have resulted in higher levels of unemployment, reductions in disposable income for many consumers and lower levels of consumer confidence. If these economic conditions persist for an extended period of time, consumers may make long-lasting changes to their spending habits and behavior.

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In addition, unfavorable macroeconomic trends or developments concerning factors such as increased food, fuel, utilities, labor and benefits costs may also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Current economic conditions may prevent us from increasing prices to match increased costs without further harming our sales. If we were unable to raise prices in order to recover increased costs for food, packaging, fuel, utilities, wages, clothing and equipment, our profitability would be negatively affected.

We have a geographic concentration of restaurants in certain states and regions, which can cause economic conditions in particular areas to have a disproportionate impact on our overall results of operations. As of August 9, 2010, we and our franchisees operated restaurants in 42 states and 18 foreign countries. By number of restaurants, our domestic operations are most concentrated in California, North Carolina and Virginia, and our international licensees are most concentrated in Mexico and the Middle East. Adverse economic conditions in states or regions that contain a high concentration of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations in the future.

Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain certain key personnel.

We believe that our success will depend, in part, on continuing services from certain of our key senior management team. The failure by us to retain members of our senior management team could adversely affect our ability to successfully execute key strategic business decisions and negatively impact the profitability of our business. Additionally, our success may depend on our ability to attract and retain additional skilled senior management personnel.

Our success depends on our franchisees’ participation in our strategy.

Our franchisees are an integral part of our business. We may be unable to successfully implement our brand strategies if our franchisees do not actively participate in such implementation. The failure of our franchisees to focus on the fundamentals of restaurant operations, such as quality, service and cleanliness, would have a negative impact on our success. It may be more difficult for us to monitor our international licensees’ implementation of our brand strategies due to our lack of personnel in the markets served by such licensees.

Our financial results are affected by the financial results of our franchisees and international licensees.

We receive royalties from our franchisees. As a result, our financial results are impacted by the operational and financial success of our franchisees, including their implementation of our strategic plans, and their ability to secure adequate financing. If sales trends or economic conditions worsen for our franchisees, and they are unable to secure adequate sources of financing, their financial health may worsen, our collection rates may decline and we may be required to assume the responsibility for additional lease payments on franchised restaurants, offer extended payment terms or make other concessions. Additionally, refusal on the part of franchisees to renew their franchise agreements may result in decreased royalties. Entering into restructured franchise agreements may result in reduced franchise royalty rates in the future. Furt hermore, if, our franchisees are not be able to obtain the financing necessary to complete planned remodel and construction projects, and they may be forced to postpone or cancel such projects.

The financial conditions of our international licensees may also be adversely impacted by political, economic or other changes in the global markets in which they operate. As a result, the royalties we receive from our international licensees may be affected by recessionary or expansive trends in international markets, increasing labor costs in certain international markets, changes in applicable tax laws, changes in inflation rates, changes in exchange rates and the imposition of restrictions on currency conversion or the transfer of funds, expropriation of private enterprises, political and economic instability and other external factors.

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Our business depends on the willingness of vendors and service providers to supply us with goods and services pursuant to customary credit arrangements which may not be available to us in the future caused by changes in our capital structure as a result of the Merger or other factors outside our control.

Like many companies in the foodservice industry, we purchase goods and services from trade creditors pursuant to customary credit arrangements. Changes in our capital structure or other factors outside our control may cause trade creditors to change our customary credit arrangements. If we are unable to maintain or obtain trade credit from vendors and service providers on terms favorable to us, or at all, or if vendors and service providers are unable to obtain trade credit or factor their receivables, then we may not be able to execute our business plan, develop or enhance our products or services, take advantage of business opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse affect on our business. In addition, the tightening of trade credit could limit our available liquidity.

Our international operations are subject to various risks and uncertainties and there is no assurance that our international operations will be successful.

An important component of our growth strategy involves increasing our net restaurant count in international markets. The execution of this growth strategy depends upon the opening of new restaurants by our existing licensees and by new licensees. We and our current or future licensees face many risks and uncertainties in opening new international restaurants, including international economic and political conditions, differing cultures and consumer preferences, diverse government regulations and tax systems, securing acceptable suppliers, difficulty in collecting our royalties and longer payment cycles, uncertain or differing interpretations of rights and obligations in connection with international license agreements, the selection and availability of suitable restaurant locations, currency regulation and fluctuation, and other external factors.

In addition, our current licensees may be unwilling or unable to increase their investment in our system by opening new restaurants. Moreover, our international growth also depends upon the availability of prospective licensees or joint venture partners with the experience and financial resources to be effective operators of our restaurants. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify future licensees who meet our criteria, or that, once identified, they will successfully implement their expansion plans.

We face commodity price and availability risks.

We and our franchisees purchase large quantities of food and supplies which may be subject to substantial price fluctuations. We purchase agricultural and livestock products that are subject to price volatility caused by weather, supply, global demand, fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar, commodity market conditions and other factors that are not predictable or within our control. Increases in commodity prices could result in higher restaurant operating costs. Since we have a higher concentration of company-operated restaurants than many of our competitors, we may have greater operating cost exposure than those competitors who are more heavily franchised. Occasionally, the availability of commodities can be limited due to circumstances beyond our control. If we are unable to obtain such commodities, we may be unable to offer rel ated products, which would have a negative impact on our operating expenses and profitability.

Events reported in the media, such as incidents involving food-borne illnesses or food tampering, whether accurate or not, could reduce the production and supply of important food products, cause damage to our reputation and adversely affect our sales and profitability.

Reports, whether true or not, of food-borne illnesses, such as those caused by E. coli, Listeria or Salmonella, in addition to Avian Influenza (commonly known as bird flu) and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (commonly known as BSE or mad cow disease), and injuries caused by food tampering have, in the past, severely impacted the production and supply of certain food products, including poultry and beef. A reduction in the supply of such food products could have a material effect on the price at which we could obtain them. Failure to procure food products, such as poultry or beef, at reasonable terms and prices or any reduction in consumption of such food products by consumers could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.
 

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In addition, reports, whether or not true, of food-borne illnesses or the use of hormones, antibiotics or pesticides in the production of certain food products may cause consumers to reduce or avoid consumption of such food products. Our brands’ reputations are important assets to us, and any such reports could damage our brands’ reputations and immediately and severely hurt sales and profits. If customers become ill from food-borne illnesses or food tampering, we could be forced to temporarily close some, or all, of our restaurants. In addition, instances of food-borne illnesses or food tampering occurring at the restaurants of competitors, could, by resulting in negative publicity about the QSR industry, adversely affect our sales on a local, regional, or national basis.

Our operations are seasonal and heavily influenced by weather conditions.

Weather, which is unpredictable, can adversely impact our sales. Harsh weather conditions that discourage customers from dining out result in lost opportunities for our restaurants. A heavy snowstorm can leave an entire metropolitan area snowbound, resulting in a reduction in sales. Our first and fourth quarters, most notably the fourth quarter, include winter months when there is historically a lower level of sales. Because a significant portion of our restaurant operating costs is fixed or semi-fixed in nature, the loss of sales during these periods adversely impacts our profitability. These adverse, weather-driven events have a more pronounced impact on our Hardee’s restaurants. For these reasons, sequential quarter-to-quarter comparisons may not be a good indication of our performance or how we may perform in the future.

Our business may suffer due to our inability to hire and retain qualified personnel and due to higher labor costs.

Given that our restaurant-level workforce requires large numbers of both entry-level and skilled employees, low levels of unemployment could compromise our ability to provide quality service in our restaurants. From time to time, we have had difficulty hiring and maintaining qualified restaurant management personnel. Increases in minimum wage levels have negatively impacted our labor costs. Due to the labor-intensive nature of our business, further increases in minimum wage levels could have additional negative effects on our consolidated results of operations.

Higher health care costs and labor costs could adversely affect our business.

We will be impacted by the recent passage of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under this Act, we may be required to amend our health care plans to, among other things, provide affordable coverage, as defined in the Act, to all employees, or otherwise be subject to a payment per employee based on the affordability criteria in the Act, cover adult children of our employees to age 26, delete lifetime limits, and delete pre-existing condition limitations. Many of these requirements will be phased in over a period of time. Additionally, some states and localities have passed state and local laws mandating the provision of certain levels of health benefits by some employers. Increased health care costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, changes i n the federal or state minimum wage or living wage requirements or changes in other workplace regulations could adversely affect our ability to meet our financial targets.

Our business may be impacted by increased insurance and/or self-insurance costs.

From time to time, we have been negatively affected by increases in both workers’ compensation and general liability insurance and claims expense due to our claims experience and rising healthcare costs. Although we seek to manage our claims to prevent increases, such increases can occur unexpectedly and without regard to our efforts to limit them. If such increases occur, we may be unable to pass them along to the consumer through product price increases, resulting in decreased operating results.

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We are subject to certain health, employment, environmental and other government regulations, and failure to comply with existing or future government regulations could expose us to litigation, damage to our reputation and lower profits.

We, and our franchisees, are subject to various federal, state and local laws. The successful development and operation of restaurants depend to a significant extent on the selection and acquisition of suitable sites, which are subject to zoning, land use, environmental, traffic and other regulations. Restaurant operations are also subject to licensing and regulation by state and local departments relating to health, food preparation, sanitation and safety standards, federal and state labor and immigration law, (including applicable minimum wage requirements, overtime pay practices, working and safety conditions and citizenship requirements), federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination and other laws regulating the design and operation of facilities, such as the ADA. If we fail to comply with any of these laws, we may be subject to governmental action or litigation, and our reputation could be harmed. Injury to our reputation would, in turn, likely reduce revenues and profits.

In recent years, there has been an increased legislative, regulatory and consumer focus on nutrition and advertising practices in the food industry, particularly among restaurants. As a result, we may become subject to regulatory initiatives in the area of nutrition disclosure or advertising, such as requirements to provide information about the nutritional content of our food products, which could increase expenses. The operation of our franchise system is also subject to franchise laws and regulations enacted by a number of states and rules promulgated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Any future legislation regulating franchise relationships may negatively affect our operations, particularly our relationship with our franchisees. Failure to comply with new or existing franchise laws and regulations in any jurisdiction or to obtain required government approvals could result in a ban or temporary suspension on future franchise sales. Changes in applicable accounting rules imposed by governmental regulators or private governing bodies could also affect our reported results of operations.

We are subject to the FLSA, which governs such matters as minimum wage, overtime and other working conditions, along with the ADA, various family leave mandates and a variety of other laws enacted, or rules and regulations promulgated, by federal, state and local governmental authorities that govern these and other employment matters. We have experienced and expect further increases in payroll expenses as a result of federal and state mandated increases in the minimum wage. In addition, our vendors may be affected by higher minimum wage standards, which may increase the price of goods and services they supply to us. Additionally, we offer access to healthcare benefits to certain of our employees. The imposition of any requirement that we provide health insurance to all employees on terms that differ significantly from our existing progra ms could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.

We are also subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations that govern discharges to air and water, as well as handling and disposal practices for solid and hazardous wastes. These laws may also impose liability for damages from and the costs of cleaning up sites of spills, disposals or other releases of hazardous materials. We may be responsible for environmental conditions or contamination relating to our restaurants and the land on which our restaurants are located, regardless of whether we lease or own the restaurant or land in question and regardless of whether such environmental conditions were created by us or by a prior owner or tenant. The costs of any cleanup could be significant and have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position and results of operations.

 We may not be able to adequately protect our intellectual property, which could decrease the value of our brands and products.

The success of our business depends on the continued ability to use existing trademarks, service marks and other components of our brands in order to increase brand awareness and further develop branded products. All of the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not be adequate.

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We are subject to litigation from customers, franchisees, and employees in the ordinary course of business that could adversely affect us.

We may be subject to claims, including class action lawsuits, filed by customers, franchisees, employees, and others in the ordinary course of business. Significant claims may be expensive to defend and may divert time and money away from our operations causing adverse impacts to our operating results. In addition, adverse publicity or a substantial judgment against us could negatively impact our brand reputation resulting in further adverse impacts to our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the restaurant industry has been subject to claims that relate to the nutritional content of food products, as well as claims that the menus and practices of restaurant chains have led to the obesity of some customers. We may also be subject to this type of claim in the future and, even if we are not specifically named, publicity about these matters may harm our reputation and have adverse impacts on our financial condition and results of operations.

A significant failure, interruption or security breach of our computer systems or information technology may adversely affect our business.

We are significantly dependent upon our computer systems and information technology to properly conduct our business. A significant failure or interruption of service, or a breach in security of our computer systems could cause reduced efficiency in operations, loss of data and business interruptions, and significant capital investment could be required to rectify the problems. In addition, any security breach involving our point of sale or other systems could result in loss of consumer confidence and potential costs associated with consumer fraud.

Catastrophic events may disrupt our business.

Unforeseen events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues, and natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the U.S. or abroad, could disrupt our operations, disrupt the operations of franchisees, distributors, suppliers or customers, or result in political or economic instability. These events could reduce demand for our products or make it difficult or impossible to receive products from our distributors or suppliers.

We are indirectly owned and controlled by Apollo, and its interests as an equity holder may conflict with the interests of our creditors.

We are indirectly owned and controlled by Apollo, and Apollo has the ability to elect all of the members of our board of directors and thereby control our policies and operations, including the appointment of management, future issuances of our common stock or other securities, the payment of dividends, if any, on our common stock, the incurrence of debt by us, amendments to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and the entering into of significant transactions. The interests of Apollo may not in all cases be aligned with the interests of our creditors. For example, if we encounter financial difficulties or are unable to pay our indebtedness as it matures, the interests of Apollo as an equity holder may conflict with the interests of our creditors. In addition, Apollo may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures, fin ancings or other transactions that, in its judgment, could enhance its equity investments, even though such transactions might involve risks to our creditors. Furthermore, Apollo may, in the future, own businesses that directly or indirectly compete with us. Apollo also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. So long as Apollo continues to own a significant amount of our combined voting power, even if such amount is less than 50%, it will continue to be able to strongly influence or effectively control our decisions.

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Risks Relating to Our Indebtedness

Our substantial leverage could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry and prevent us from meeting our obligations under our Notes and Credit Facility.

Our substantial leverage could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry, expose us to interest rate risk to the extent of our variable rate debt and prevent us from meeting our obligations under the Notes and Credit Facility. Our high degree of leverage could have important consequences for our creditors, including:

·   increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or competitive developments;

·   requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our indebtedness, therefore reducing our ability to use our cash flow to fund our operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities;

·   exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates because certain of our borrowings, including borrowings under our Credit Facility, will be at variable rates of interest;

·   making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our indebtedness, including the Notes, and any failure to comply with the obligations of any of our debt instruments, including restrictive covenants and borrowing conditions, could result in an event of default under the indenture governing the Notes and the agreements governing such other indebtedness;

·   restricting us from making strategic acquisitions or causing us to make non-strategic divestitures;

·   limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes; and

·   limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or market conditions and placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors who are less highly leveraged and who therefore, may be able to take advantage of opportunities that our leverage prevents us from exploiting.

Despite our high indebtedness level, we and our subsidiaries are still able to incur significant additional amounts of debt, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.

We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future. Although the indenture governing the Notes and the Credit Facility contains restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, these restrictions are subject to a number of significant qualifications and exceptions, and under certain circumstances, the amount of indebtedness that could be incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. If new debt is added to our and our subsidiaries’ existing debt levels, the related risks that we now face would increase. In addition, the indenture governing the Notes does not prevent us from incurring obligations that do not constitute indebtedness under the indenture.

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Our debt agreements contain restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.

Our Credit Facility and the indenture governing the Notes contain various covenants that limit our ability to engage in specified types of transactions. For example, the indenture contains covenants that will, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to:

·   incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preferred equity;

·   pay dividends on or make distributions to holders of our common stock or make other restricted payments;

·   sell certain assets;

·   create or incur liens on certain assets to secure debt;

·   make certain investments;

·   designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries;

·   consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets; or

·   enter into certain transactions with affiliates.

If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow and are otherwise unable to obtain funds necessary to meet required payments of principal and interest on our indebtedness, or if we otherwise fail to comply with any of the covenants in the indenture or the Credit Facility, we could be in default under one or more of these agreements.  In the event of such a default:

·   the lenders under our Credit Facility could elect to terminate their commitments thereunder and cease making further loans to us;

·   the holders of such indebtedness could elect to declare all the funds borrowed thereunder to be immediately due and payable, together with accrued and unpaid interest, which would prevent us from using our cash flows for other purposes;

·   if we are unable to pay amounts outstanding and declared immediately due and payable, the holders of such indebtedness could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure the indebtedness; and

·   we could ultimately be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.

We and our subsidiaries may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness, and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, which may not be successful.

Our ability to make scheduled payments on or to refinance our debt obligations depends on our financial condition and operating performance, which is subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business and other factors beyond our control. As a result, we may not be able to maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal and interest on our indebtedness. In addition, because our subsidiaries conduct a significant portion of our operations, repayment of our indebtedness is dependent, to a significant extent, on the generation of cash flow by our subsidiaries and their ability to make such cash available to us. While the indenture governing the Notes limits the ability of our subsidiaries to incur consensual restrictions on their ability to pay d ividends or make other intercompany payments to us, these limitations are subject to certain qualifications and exceptions. In the event that we do not receive distributions from our subsidiaries, we may be unable to make required principal and interest payments on our indebtedness.

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If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, or to sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness, including the Notes. Our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations. The terms of existing or future debt instruments and the indenture governing the Notes may restrict us from adopting some of these alternatives. In addition, any failure to make payments of interest and principal on our outstanding indebtedness on a tim ely basis would likely result in a reduction of our credit rating, which could harm our ability to incur additional indebtedness. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Issuer Purchase of Equity Securities

The following table provides information as of and for the twelve-weeks ended August 9, 2010, with respect to shares of common stock repurchased by us during the fiscal quarter then ended (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):

	(a)		(b)		(c)		(d)
Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased		Average Price Paid per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs		Maximum Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
Predecessor (1):
May 18, 2010 — June 14, 2010		20,150	$	12.39		—	$	35,052
June 15, 2010 — July 12, 2010		—		—		—		35,052
Total		20,150	$	12.39		—	$	35,052
Successor (2):
July 13, 2010 — August 9, 2010		—	$	—		—	$	—
Total		—	$	—		—	$	—

____________

(1)	We received and cancelled a total of 20,150 shares of our outstanding common stock in connection with the net exercise of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock awards.
(2)	As a result of the Merger, effective July 12, 2010, our shares ceased to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and all of our outstanding shares were purchased for $12.55 per share.

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Item 6. Exhibits

Exhibit No.	Description
10.1	Employment Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and between the Company and Andrew F. Puzder.
10.2	Employment Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and between the Company and E. Michael Murphy.
10.3	Employment Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and between the Company and Theodore Abajian.
10.4	Management Services Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and among the Company, Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc., and Apollo Management VII, L.P.
10.5	Separation Agreement and General Release, entered into as of April 13, 2010, by and between the Company and Noah J. Griggs, Jr.
31.1	Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2	Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1	Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b)/15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.
32.2	Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b)/15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

60

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC.

Date: September 28, 2010

/s/ Reese Stewart                                      

Reese Stewart

Senior Vice President

Chief Accounting Officer

(Principal Accounting Officer)

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Exhibit Index

Exhibit No.	Description
10.1	Employment Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and between the Company and Andrew F. Puzder.
10.2	Employment Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and between the Company and E. Michael Murphy.
10.3	Employment Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and between the Company and Theodore Abajian.
10.4	Management Services Agreement, entered into as of July 12, 2010, by and among the Company, Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc., and Apollo Management VII, L.P.
10.5	Separation Agreement and General Release, entered into as of April 13, 2010, by and between the Company and Noah J. Griggs, Jr.
31.1	Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
31.2	Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
32.1	Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b)/15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.
32.2	Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b)/15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350.

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EX-10..1

Exhibit 10.1

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of July 12, 2010 by and between CKE RESTAURANTS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and ANDREW F. PUZDER (the “Employee”).

RECITALS:

A.The Company and Employee heretofore entered into an Employment Agreement dated as of January 2004, and amended on February 1, 2005, December 6, 2005, October 12, 2006, December 16, 2008 and January 28, 2010 (collectively, the “Prior Employment Agreement”).

B.Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 18, 2010, among the Company, Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (“Parent”), and Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp. (the “Merger Agreement”), the Company, as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”), becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, which is in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apollo CKE Holdings, L.P. (“Holdings LP”), which in turn is indirectly majority-owned by investment funds controlled by Apollo Management VII, L.P. (Apollo Management VII, L.P. and the investment funds it controls are hereinafter referred to as “Apollo”).

C.Immediately prior to the Effective Date, the Employee owned a significant number of shares of common stock of the Company and other stock-based rights, and as a result of the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Employee has or shall receive substantial consideration in exchange for such shares and rights.

D.The Company and the Employee desire to supersede the Prior Employment Agreement in its entirety with this Agreement, all effective as of the Effective Date.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the parties agree as follows:

1.Employment and Duties.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company employs the Employee to serve in an executive and managerial capacity as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and the Employee accepts such employment and agrees to perform such reasonable responsibilities and duties commensurate with the aforesaid positions as directed by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) or as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Company.   In addition, for so long as the Employee is serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and prior to the occurrence of a Change of Control or other event as a result of which Holdings, LP and its affiliates (which on the Effective Date includes the Company) no longer have the ability to elect a majority of the members of the Board and the Board of Directors of Parent (the “Parent Board”), the Company and Holdings, L.P. will each use their respective reasonable best efforts to cause the Employee to serve as a member of the Board and a member of the Parent Board.

2.           Term.  The Employee’s term of employment with the Company under this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and extend until the fourth anniversary thereof (the “Term”), provided that the Term shall automatically be extended for successive one year periods thereafter, unless at least six months prior to the commencement of any such one year period, either party provides written notice to the other (a “Notice of Non-Renewal”) that the Term shall not be so extended.  The Term shall end prior to the scheduled expiration thereof pursuant to the preceding sentence if the Employee’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 10.

3.           Salary.  During the Term, the Company shall pay the Employee a minimum base annual salary of $1,070,000.  The Compensation Committee of the Board may, from time to time after the Effective Date, increase such salary in its sole discretion.

4.           Bonuses.

(a) With respect to each fiscal year of the Company that ends during the Term, the Employee shall be eligible to receive from the Company an annual performance bonus (the “Annual Bonus”).  The Compensation Committee, after consultation with Employee, shall, prior to the commencement of each such fiscal year, agree upon a reasonable target (“Target”) for such fiscal year for the Company’s (i) comparable same store sales, (ii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), and (iii) free cash flow (collectively the “Metrics” and individually a “Metric”).  The Compensation Committee shall then assign a weighting to each of the Metrics based on the importance it attributes to each Metric by allocating a percentage to each Metric (the “Metric Percentage”) such that the sum of all three Metric Percent ages equals 100%.  Employee shall then earn an Annual Bonus for each such fiscal year equal to the sum of the bonus earned for each Metric, determined as follows:

                           (i)      If the Company achieves below 80% of the Target for any Metric, no bonus shall be earned with respect to such Metric.

                           (ii)     If the Company achieves 80% of the Target for any Metric, Employee shall earn a bonus equal to 50% of his minimum base annual salary in effect on the last day of such fiscal year (the "Current Base") multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

                           (iii)    If the Company achieves greater than 80%, but less than 100%, of the Target for any Metric, Employee’s bonus for such Metric shall be determined by taking the Current Base multiplied by the percentage determined as follows:

50% + [(% points achieved in excess of 80%1/20) x 50%]

This amount shall then be multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric to determine the amount the Employee earned for that Metric.

                           (iv)     If the Company achieves 100% of the Target for any Metric, Employee shall earn a bonus equal to 100% of Current Base multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

                           (v)      If the Company achieves greater than 100%, but less than 120%, of the Target for any Metric, Employee’s bonus for such Metric shall be determined by taking the Current Base multiplied by the percentage determined as follows:

100% + [(% points achieved in excess of 100%2/20) x 150%]

This amount shall then be multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric to determine the amount the Employee earned for that Metric.

(vi) If the Company achieves 120% or greater of Target for any Metric, Employee shall receive a bonus equal to 250% of Current Base multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

Targets for the fiscal year in which the Effective Date occurs will be determined based on the budget presented by management as attached as Exhibit A.  Achievement levels for each Metric for a fiscal year shall be determined by the Compensation Committee based on the audited financial statement for such year, subject to such adjustments to reflect unusual, nonrecurring or extraordinary events as the Board shall deem equitable and appropriate, after consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee of the Parent Board.  Any Annual Bonus earned for a fiscal year shall be payable in full as soon as reasonably practicable following the determination thereof, but in no event later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calendar year in which such fiscal year ends, and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices and procedures.  Any Annual Bonus (or portion thereof) payable under this Section 4(a) shall not be earned and payable unless the Employee is employed by the Company on the last day of the period to which such Annual Bonus relates.

(b) The Employee shall be entitled to three special retention bonuses each in the amount of $1,255,000 payable on October 1, 2011, October 1, 2012 and October 1, 2013 respectively (each a “Special Retention Installment”), provided that any unpaid Special Retention Installment will be paid immediately upon a Change of Control.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in Section 10(b), upon and following the Employee’s termination of employment for any reason, no further Special Retention Installments will be payable under this Section 4(b).  For purposes of this Agreement, a Change of Control shall have the same meaning as the definition of “Change of Control” set forth in the Partnership Agreement.

5. Equity Investment; Equity Award.

(a) No later than 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on July 16, 2010 (the “Purchase Deadline”), the Employee agrees to purchase from Holdings LP, Class A Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) for aggregate cash consideration of $6,740,000 (the “Purchase Price”) at a price per unit equal to the same price per Class A Unit paid by Apollo for Class A Units on the Effective Date (the “Unit Purchase”).  The Unit Purchase shall otherwise be on the terms set forth in a separate Subscription Agreement entered into by and between Holdings LP and the Employee in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, and the Class A Units shall be subject to the terms set forth in the Holdings LP Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Partnership Agreement”).   The Purchase Price shall be paid in accordance with the terms of that certain letter agreement on the matter of “Payment for Purchased Units”, dated the Effective Date, among Employee, Holdings LP, the Company and Parent.  In connection with, and simultaneously with, the Unit Purchase, Employee shall execute and deliver the Partnership Agreement as a Management Limited Partner (as defined in the Partnership Agreement).

(b) Upon consummation of the Unit Purchase, Holdings LP shall award the Employee 2,003,333 Class B Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement).  The Class B Units shall be subject to the terms set forth in the Partnership Agreement, and for purposes of Section 3.8.2 thereof, the Effective Date shall be treated as the date of grant.

6.           Other Compensation and Fringe Benefits.   In addition to any executive bonus, pension, deferred compensation and stock option grants which the Company may from time to time make available to the Employee upon mutual agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to the following during the Term:

(a)The standard Company benefits enjoyed by the Company’s other top executives;

(b)           Payment by the Company of the Employee’s initiation and membership dues in a social and/or recreational club as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Employee (and pre-approved by the Compensation Committee at its discretion) to maintain various business relationships on behalf of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to pay for any of the Employee’s personal purchases and expenses at such club;

(c)Provision by the Company to the Employee and his dependents of the medical and other insurance coverage provided by the Company to its other top executives. In addition, the Company will reimburse Employee for all medical, dental and vision care expenses incurred by the Employee and his dependents that are not otherwise reimbursed or covered by the base health insurance plan; and

(d)Provision by the Company of supplemental disability insurance sufficient to provide two-thirds of the Employee’s pre-disability minimum base annual salary for a two-year period.

(e)Section 409A Limitation. Any amounts payable under Sections 6(b), 6(c), 9 or 10(b)(iv) shall be paid no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expenses are incurred.

7.           Withholding.  The Company shall deduct from all compensation payable under this Agreement to the Employee any taxes or withholdings the Company is required to deduct pursuant to state and federal laws or by mutual agreement between the parties.

8.           Vacation.  For and during each year of the Term and any extensions thereof, the Employee shall be entitled to reasonable paid vacation periods consistent with his position with the Company and in accordance with the Company’s standard policies, or as the Board may approve. In addition, the Employee shall be entitled to such holidays consistent with the Company’s standard policies or as the Board may approve.

9.           Expense Reimbursement. In addition to the compensation and benefits provided herein, the Company shall, upon receipt of appropriate documentation, reimburse the Employee each month for his reasonable travel, lodging, entertainment, promotion and other ordinary and necessary business expenses in accordance with the Company’s policies then in effect.

10.           Termination.

(a)           By the Company For Cause.  The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment immediately for Cause upon written notice to the Employee, in which event the Company shall be obligated only to pay the Employee that portion of the minimum base annual salary due him through the date of termination.  “Cause” shall mean the Employee’s (i) willful failure to perform the material duties of his position, adhere to the lawful direction of the Board or adhere to the lawful policies and practices of the Company, (ii) conviction of or plea of nolo contendere involving a felony or crime of moral turpitude under the laws of the United States or any state thereof that involves dishonesty or is otherwise detrimental to the Company determined in Board’s good faith, or (iii) material breach of a provision of his employment or other written agreement including, without limitation, the Employee’s failure to fully fund the Purchase Price by the Purchase Deadline.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the occurrence of an event described in (i) through (iii) above is capable of being cured, such occurrence shall constitute Cause only if written notice specifying in reasonable detail the nature thereof is provided to the Employee within ninety (90) days of the alleged event and he shall have substantially failed to cure such event within fourteen (14) days after receiving such notice.

(b)           By the Company Without Cause.  The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment immediately without Cause by giving written notice to the Employee.  If the Company terminates under this Section 10(b):

(i)           The Company shall pay the Employee all amounts owed through the date of termination;

(ii)           In lieu of any further salary and bonus payments or other payments due to the Employee for periods subsequent to the date of termination, under this Agreement or otherwise, the Company shall pay, as severance to the Employee, subject to the Employee executing and delivering to the Company a release of the Company and its affiliates from all known or unknown claims at the date of such termination based upon or arising out of this Agreement, the Employee’s employment, or the termination thereof, in form reasonably acceptable to the Employee (the “Release”) (provided that the Release shall be executed and delivered on or prior to the fifty-fifth (55th) day following the date of the Employee’s termination and shall be in the form of an effective rel ease agreement for which any applicable revocation period has expired), an amount equal to (x) the product of the Employee’s minimum base annual salary in effect as of the date of termination multiplied by the number six, payable in equal installments in accordance with the Company’s payroll periods over the two year period following such termination of employment, (y)  50% of any unpaid Special Retention Installment, payable on the date(s) such installment(s) would otherwise be paid had the Employee’s employment not been terminated, and (z) the remaining 50% of any unpaid Special Retention Installment, payable on the date(s) such installment(s) would otherwise be paid had the Employee’s employment not been terminated, but only if, prior to the date of termination of employment, any of the Employee’s Class B Performance Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) were converted to a time vesting schedule pursuant to Section 3.8.3 of the Partnership Agreement.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, at the time the Company terminates Employee’s employment under this Section 10(b), the Company is a reporting company under the Exchange Act (as defined below), and the Employee is a “specified employee for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code), then any payments under this Section 10(b)(ii) that otherwise would have been paid during the period commencing on the date of termination and ending six months after the last day of the calendar month in which the date of termination occurs shall be paid on the first business day that occurs at the end of the period.

(iii)           Subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release, the Company shall maintain in full force and effect for the continued benefit of the Employee during the period commencing on the date of termination and ending on the scheduled expiration of the Term then in effect (without regard to further renewals thereof), all employee benefit plans (except for the Company’s stock incentive plans) and programs in which the Employee was entitled to participate immediately prior to the date of termination, provided that the Employee’s continued participation is not prohibited under the general terms and provisions of such plans and programs, but, if prohibited, the Company shall, at the Company’s expense, arrange for substantial ly equivalent benefits or the equivalent cash value if the Company cannot obtain post-employment insurance coverage from any source after engaging in commercially reasonable efforts; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, there shall only be included, and Employee shall only be entitled to, those benefit plans or programs that are exempt from the term “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” under Section 409A of the Code.

(iv)           Subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release, the Company shall provide the Employee with reimbursement not to exceed $25,000 for the reasonable costs incurred for outplacement services, provided that such cash allowance shall apply only to those costs or obligations that are incurred by the Employee during the twelve month period following the date of the Employee’s termination of employment.  Such reimbursement shall be made on the fifteenth day following the submission of each receipt to the Company evidencing costs or obligations incurred by the Employee in connection with outplacement activities.

Notwithstanding anything in Section 10(b) to the contrary, no amount shall be payable pursuant to this Section 10(b) unless Employee has incurred a Separation from Service (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code, and Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) by reason of a termination of the Employee’s employment by the Company under this Section 10(b).

(c)           By the Employee Without Good Reason.  The Employee may resign from employment immediately without Good Reason by giving written notice to the Company.   If the Employee resigns under this Section 10(c), then the Company shall not pay him any separation or severance pay or other benefit in connection with his termination, but shall only be obligated to pay the Employee any unpaid portion of his base salary that he earned for services he performed through his date of termination.

(d)           By the Employee With Good Reason.  The Employee may resign from employment with Good Reason by giving written notice to the Company.  If the Employee resigns under this Section 10(d), then such resignation shall be treated as a termination by the Company pursuant to Section 10(b).  “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events, without the Employee’s consent, (i) a material failure by the Company to pay any compensation owed to the Employee, (ii) a material reduction in the Employee’s base salary or target bonus percentage, (iii) a material diminution in the Employee’s responsibilities or authority, (iv) a relocation of th e Employee’s principal place of employment outside the city limits of either Carpinteria or Santa Barbara, California, or (v) the occurrence of a Change of Control.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, occurrence of the events described in (i) through (iv) above only shall constitute Good Reason if (A) the Employee provides the Company written notice within sixty (60) days following the occurrence of an event that allegedly constitutes Good Reason; (B) the Company fails to substantially cure such event within thirty (30) days after receiving such notice; and (C) the Employee resigns within thirty (30) days following such failure to cure.  In connection with a resignation for Good Reason on account of a Change of Control (i.e., (v) above), such resignation shall be deemed to be for Good Reason only where such resignation occurs during the period commencing 60 days and expiring 365 days following the occurrence of the Change of Control.

(e)           Disability. If the Employee fails to perform his duties hereunder on account of illness or other incapacity for a period of six consecutive months, then the Company shall have the right upon written notice to the Employee to terminate the Employee’s employment without further obligation by paying the Employee the minimum base annual salary, without offset, for the one year period following such termination, subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release.  The Employee shall also be entitled to additional vesting of his Class B Units to the extent provided in the Partnership Agreement.

(f)           Death. If the Employee dies during the Term, then this Agreement shall terminate immediately and the Employee’s legal representatives shall be entitled to receive the minimum base annual salary for the one year period following such termination, subject to the representative’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release.  The Employee shall also be entitled to additional vesting of his Class B Units to the extent provided in the Partnership Agreement.

(g)           Non-Renewal.  The Employee’s employment will terminate upon the expiration of the Term.  If the term expires by reason of the Employee having provided a Notice of Non-Renewal to the Company, then such termination will be treated as a termination pursuant to Section 10(c).  If the Term expires by reason of the Company having provided a Notice of Non-Renewal to the Employee, then such termination will be treated as a termination pursuant to Section 10(b).

(h)           Effect of Termination. Termination for any reason or for no reason shall not constitute a waiver of the Company’s rights under this Agreement nor a release of the Employee from any obligation hereunder except his obligation to perform his day-to-day duties as an employee.

(i)           Mitigation; Offset. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment provided for in this Section 10 by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall any compensation or other payments received by the Employee after the date of termination reduce any payments due under this Section 10.  However, if the Employee becomes entitled to a benefit from a subsequent employer of the type he is then receiving under Section 10(b)(iii) above, he shall immediately notify the Company, and the benefit he is receiving under Section 10(b)(iii) above shall immediately terminate.

(j)           Certain Taxes.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if and to the extent any payment made under this Agreement, either alone or in conjunction with other payments Employee has the right to receive either directly or indirectly from the Company, which would constitute an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code solely in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, then Employee shall be entitled to receive an excise tax gross-up payment not exceeding one million dollars ($1,000,000) in accordance with Exhibit D.  If, despite his entitlement to any such gross-up payment, the Employee would retain, on an after-tax basis, a greater amount by reducing his entitlement to any amounts payable under or outside of this Agreement that are described in Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code to the extent necessary to avoid any portion of any such payment being treated as a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code, then his entitlement will be so reduced.  Furthermore, if at any time following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Employee has the right to receive either directly or indirectly from the Company, payments or benefits which would constitute an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, and the Employee would retain, on an after-tax basis, a greater amount by reducing his entitlement to any amounts payable under or outside of this Agreement that are described in Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code to the extent necessary to avoid any portion of any such payment being treated as a “parachute payment&# 8221; within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code, then his entitlement will be so reduced in accordance with Exhibit E.

11.           Non-Delegation of Employee’s Rights. The obligations, rights and benefits of the Employee hereunder are personal and may not be delegated, assigned or transferred in any manner whatsoever, nor are such obligations, rights or benefits subject to involuntary alienation, assignment or transfer.

12.           Confidential Information. The Employee acknowledges that in his capacity as an employee of the Company he will occupy a position of trust and confidence and he further acknowledges that he will have access to and learn substantial information about the Company and its operations that is confidential or not generally known in the industry, including, without limitation, information that relates to purchasing, sales, customers, marketing, and the Company’s financial position and financing arrangements. The Employee agrees that all such information is proprietary or confidential, or constitutes trade secrets and is the sole property of the Company. The Employee will keep confidential, and will not reprod uce, copy or disclose to any other person or firm, any such information or any documents or information relating to the Company’s methods, processes, customers, accounts, analyses, systems, charts, programs, procedures, correspondence or records, or any other documents used or owned by the Company, nor will the Employee advise, discuss with or in any way assist any other person, firm or entity in obtaining or learning about any of the items described in this Section 12. Accordingly, the Employee agrees that during the Term and at all times thereafter he will not disclose, or permit or encourage anyone else to disclose, any such information, nor will he utilize any such information, either alone or with others, outside the scope of his duties and responsibilities with the Company.

13.           Non-Competition During Employment Term. The Employee agrees that, during the Term and any extensions thereof, he will devote substantially all his business time and effort, and give undivided loyalty, to the Company, and that he will not engage in any way whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in any business that is competitive with the Company or its affiliates, nor solicit, or in any other manner work for or assist any business which is competitive with the Company or its affiliates. In addition, during the Term and any extensions thereof, the Employee will undertake no planning for or organization of any business activity competitive with the work he performs as an employee of the Company, and the Employee will not combine or conspire with any other employee of the Company or any other person for the purpose of organizing any such competitive business activity.

14.           Non-Competition After Employment Term.  The Employee shall execute on the Effective Date and be subject to the Non-Competition Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit F.

15.           Return of Company Documents. Upon termination of this Agreement, Employee shall return immediately to the Company all records and documents of or pertaining to the Company and shall not make or retain any copy or extract of any such record or document.

16.           Improvements and Inventions. Any and all improvements or inventions which the Employee may conceive, make or participate in during the period of his employment shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. The Employee will, whenever requested by the Company, execute and deliver any and all documents which the Company shall deem appropriate in order to apply for and obtain patents for improvements or inventions or in order to assign and convey to the Company the sole and exclusive right, title and interest in and to such improvements, inventions, patents or applications.

17.           Actions. The parties agree and acknowledge that the rights conveyed by this Agreement are of a unique and special nature and that the Company will not have an adequate remedy at law in the event of a failure by the Employee to abide by its terms and conditions nor will money damages adequately compensate for such injury. It is therefore agreed between the parties that, in the event of a breach by the Employee of any of his obligations contained in this Agreement or the Non-Competition Agreement, the Company shall have the right, among other rights, to damages sustained thereby, to immediately cease any payments being made or benefits being provided pursuant to Section 10(b) and to obtain an injunction or de cree of specific performance from any court of competent jurisdiction to restrain or compel the Employee to perform as agreed herein.  The Company may not cease any payments being made or benefits being provided pursuant to Section 10(b) unless written notice specifying in reasonable detail the nature of the breach is provided to the Employee within ninety (90) days of the alleged breach and the Employee shall have substantially failed to have cured such breach within fourteen (14) days after receiving such notice, unless the breach is not curable.  The Employee shall be considered to have substantially cured the breach if he takes, or causes to have taken, actions that result in the Company not having incurred a material detriment to its business or reputation as a result of such breach.  The Employee agrees that this Section 17 shall survive the termination of his employment and he shall be bound by its terms at all times subsequent to the termination of his employment for so long a period as Company continues to conduct the same business or businesses as conducted during the Term or any extensions thereof. Nothing herein contained shall in any way limit or exclude any other right granted by law or equity to the Company.

18.           Amendment; Integration. This Agreement, along with the exhibits hereto, contains, and its terms constitute, the entire agreement of the parties, and it may be amended only by a written document signed by both parties to this Agreement. This Agreement supersedes and replaces the Prior Employment Agreement in its entirety, which is of no further force or effect after the Effective Date, and, without limiting the foregoing, exclusively governs any right the Employee may have to compensation following any termination of employment that occurs after the Effective Date.

19.           Governing Law.  California law shall govern the construction and enforcement of this Agreement and the parties agree that any litigation pertaining to this Agreement shall be adjudicated in courts located in California; provided that if the Company is enforcing its rights under the restrictive covenants in a jurisdiction other than California as a result of the Employee’s primary place of work being located other than in California (whether as a result of the Employee or the Company relocating outside of California), then the laws of that other jurisdiction will apply, and any litigation pertaining to such enforcement may be adjudicated in courts located in such jurisdiction.

20.           Attorneys’ Fees.  If any party finds it necessary to employ legal counsel or to bring an action at law or other proceedings against the other party to enforce any of the terms hereof, the party prevailing in any such action or other proceeding shall be paid by the other party its reasonable attorneys’ fees as well as court costs, all as determined by the court and not a jury.

21.           Severability.  If any section, subsection or provision hereof is found for any reason whatsoever, to be invalid or inoperative, that section, subsection or provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the force and validity of any other provision of this Agreement. If any covenant herein is determined by a court to be overly broad thereby making the covenant unenforceable, the parties agree and it is their desire that such court shall substitute a reasonable judicially enforceable limitation in place of the offensive part of the covenant and that as so modified the covenant shall be as fully enforceable as if set forth herein by the parties themselves in the modified form. The covenant s of the Employee in this Agreement shall each be construed as an agreement independent of any other provision in this Agreement, and the existence of any claim or cause of action of the Employee against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of the covenants in this Agreement.

22.           Notices.  Any notice, request, or instruction to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given when personally delivered or three days after being sent by United States certified mail, postage prepaid, with return receipt requested, to the parties at their respective addresses set for the below:

To the Company:

CKE Restaurants, Inc.

6307 Carpinteria Avenue, Suite A

Carpinteria, CA 93013 Attention: General Counsel

To the Employee:

Andrew F. Puzder

23.           Waiver of Breach. The waiver by any party of any provisions of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any prior or subsequent breach by the other party.

1 Expressed as an absolute number

2 Expressed as an absolute number

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties have executed this Agreement to be effective as of the date first set forth above.

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC.

By: /s/ Theodore Abajian

Name: Theodore Abajian

Title: Executive Vice President

APOLLO CKE HOLDINGS LP (Solely as to Section 5 and Section 10(e) and (f))

By:           Apollo CKE Holdings GP, LLC

its General Partner

By: /s/ Lance Milken

Name: Lance Milken

Title: Vice President

EMPLOYEE

/s/ Andrew F. Puzder

Andrew F. Puzder

[Signature Page to Puzder Employment Agreement]

EX-10.2

Exhibit 10.2

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of July 12, 2010 by and between CKE RESTAURANTS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and E. MICHAEL MURPHY (the “Employee”).

RECITALS:

A.The Company and Employee heretofore entered into an Employment Agreement dated as of January 12, 2004, and amended on December 6, 2005, October 12, 2006, December 16, 2008 and January 28, 2010 (collectively, the “Prior Employment Agreement”).

B.Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 18, 2010, among the Company, Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (“Parent”), and Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp. (the “Merger Agreement”), the Company, as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”), becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, which is in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apollo CKE Holdings, L.P. (“Holdings LP”), which in turn is indirectly majority-owned by investment funds controlled by Apollo Management VII, L.P. (Apollo Management VII, L.P. and the investment funds it controls are hereinafter referred to as “Apollo”).

C.Immediately prior to the Effective Date, the Employee owned a significant number of shares of common stock of the Company and other stock-based rights, and as a result of the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Employee has or shall receive substantial consideration in exchange for such shares and rights.

D.The Company and the Employee desire to supersede the Prior Employment Agreement in its entirety with this Agreement, all effective as of the Effective Date.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the parties agree as follows:

1.Employment and Duties.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company employs the Employee to serve in an executive and managerial capacity as President and Chief Legal Officer of the Company, and the Employee accepts such employment and agrees to perform such reasonable responsibilities and duties commensurate with the aforesaid positions as directed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Company.

2.           Term.  The Employee’s term of employment with the Company under this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and extend until the fourth anniversary thereof (the “Term”), provided that the Term shall automatically be extended for successive one year periods thereafter, unless at least six months prior to the commencement of any such one year period, either party provides written notice to the other (a “Notice of Non-Renewal”) that the Term shall not be so extended.  The Term shall end prior to the scheduled expiration thereof pursuant to the preceding sentence if the Employee’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 10.

3.           Salary.  During the Term, the Company shall pay the Employee a minimum base annual salary of $636,750.  The Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) may, from time to time after the Effective Date, increase such salary in its sole discretion.

4.           Bonuses.

(a) With respect to each fiscal year of the Company that ends during the Term, the Employee shall be eligible to receive from the Company an annual performance bonus (the “Annual Bonus”).  The Compensation Committee, after consultation with Employee, shall, prior to the commencement of each such fiscal year, agree upon a reasonable target (“Target”) for such fiscal year for the Company’s (i) comparable same store sales, (ii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), and (iii) free cash flow (collectively the “Metrics” and individually a “Metric”).  The Compensation Committee shall then assign a weighting to each of the Metrics based on the importance it attributes to each Metric by allocating a percentage to each Metric (the “Metric Percentage”) such that the sum of all three Metric Percent ages equals 100%.  Employee shall then earn an Annual Bonus for each such fiscal year equal to the sum of the bonus earned for each Metric, determined as follows:

                           (i)      If the Company achieves below 80% of the Target for any Metric, no bonus shall be earned with respect to such Metric.

                           (ii)     If the Company achieves 80% of the Target for any Metric, Employee shall earn a bonus equal to 50% of his minimum base annual salary in effect on the last day of such fiscal year (the "Current Base") multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

                           (iii)    If the Company achieves greater than 80%, but less than 100%, of the Target for any Metric, Employee’s bonus for such Metric shall be determined by taking the Current Base multiplied by the percentage determined as follows:

50% + [(% points achieved in excess of 80%1/20) x 50%]

This amount shall then be multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric to determine the amount the Employee earned for that Metric.

                           (iv)     If the Company achieves 100% of the Target for any Metric, the Employee shall earn a bonus equal to 100% of Current Base multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

                           (v)      If the Company achieves greater than 100%, but less than 120%, of the Target for any Metric, Employee’s bonus for such Metric shall be determined by taking the Current Base multiplied by the percentage determined as follows:

100% + [(% points achieved in excess of 100%2/20) x 120%]

This amount shall then be multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric to determine the amount the Employee earned for that Metric.

(vi) If the Company achieves 120% or greater of Target for any Metric, Employee shall receive a bonus equal to 220% of Current Base multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

Targets for the fiscal year in which the Effective Date occurs will be determined based on the budget presented by management as attached as Exhibit A.  Achievement levels for each Metric for a fiscal year shall be determined by the Compensation Committee based on the audited financial statement for such year, subject to such adjustments to reflect unusual, nonrecurring or extraordinary events as the Board shall deem equitable and appropriate, after consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Parent.  Any Annual Bonus earned for a fiscal year shall be payable in full as soon as reasonably practicable following the determination thereof, but in no event later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calend ar year in which such fiscal year ends, and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices and procedures.  Any Annual Bonus (or portion thereof) payable under this Section 4(a) shall not be earned and payable unless the Employee is employed by the Company on the last day of the period to which such Annual Bonus relates.

(b) The Employee shall be entitled to three special retention bonuses each in the amount of $313,750 payable on October 1, 2011, October 1, 2012 and October 1, 2013 respectively (each a “Special Retention Installment”), provided that any unpaid Special Retention Installment will be paid immediately upon a Change of Control.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in Section 10(b), upon and following the Employee’s termination of employment for any reason, no further Special Retention Installments will be payable under this Section 4(b).  For purposes of this Agreement, a Change of Control shall have the same meaning as the definition of “Change of Control” set forth in the Partnership Agreement.

5. Equity Investment; Equity Award.

(a) No later than 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on July 16, 2010 (the “Purchase Deadline”), the Employee agrees to purchase from Holdings LP, Class A Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) for aggregate cash consideration of $1,525,000 (the “Purchase Price”) at a price per unit equal to the same price per Class A Unit paid by Apollo for Class A Units on the Effective Date (the “Unit Purchase”).  The Unit Purchase shall otherwise be on the terms set forth in a separate Subscription Agreement entered into by and between Holdings LP and the Employee in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, and the Class A Units shall be subject to the terms set forth in the Holdings LP Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Partnership Agreement”).   The Purchase Price shall be paid in accordance with the terms of that certain letter agreement on the matter of “Payment for Purchased Units”, dated the Effective Date, among Employee, Holdings LP, the Company and Parent.  In connection with, and simultaneously with, the Unit Purchase, Employee shall execute and deliver the Partnership Agreement as a Management Limited Partner (as defined in the Partnership Agreement).

(b) Upon consummation of the Unit Purchase, Holdings LP shall award the Employee 663,604 Class B Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement).  The Class B Units shall be subject to the terms set forth in the Partnership Agreement, and for purposes of Section 3.8.2 thereof, the Effective Date shall be treated as the date of grant.

6.           Other Compensation and Fringe Benefits.   In addition to any executive bonus, pension, deferred compensation and stock option grants which the Company may from time to time make available to the Employee upon mutual agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to the following during the Term:

(a)The standard Company benefits enjoyed by the Company’s other top executives;

(b)           Payment by the Company of the Employee’s initiation and membership dues in a social and/or recreational club as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Employee (and pre-approved by the Compensation Committee at its discretion) to maintain various business relationships on behalf of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to pay for any of the Employee’s personal purchases and expenses at such club;

(c)Provision by the Company to the Employee and his dependents of the medical and other insurance coverage provided by the Company to its other top executives. In addition, the Company will reimburse Employee for all medical, dental and vision care expenses incurred by the Employee and his dependents that are not otherwise reimbursed or covered by the base health insurance plan; and

(d)Provision by the Company of supplemental disability insurance sufficient to provide two-thirds of the Employee’s pre-disability minimum base annual salary for a two-year period.

(e)Section 409A Limitation. Any amounts payable under Sections 6(b), 6(c), 9 or 10(b)(iv) shall be paid no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expenses are incurred.

7.           Withholding.  The Company shall deduct from all compensation payable under this Agreement to the Employee any taxes or withholdings the Company is required to deduct pursuant to state and federal laws or by mutual agreement between the parties.

8.           Vacation.  For and during each year of the Term and any extensions thereof, the Employee shall be entitled to reasonable paid vacation periods consistent with his position with the Company and in accordance with the Company’s standard policies, or as the Board may approve. In addition, the Employee shall be entitled to such holidays consistent with the Company’s standard policies or as the Board may approve.

9.           Expense Reimbursement. In addition to the compensation and benefits provided herein, the Company shall, upon receipt of appropriate documentation, reimburse the Employee each month for his reasonable travel, lodging, entertainment, promotion and other ordinary and necessary business expenses in accordance with the Company’s policies then in effect.

10.           Termination.

(a)           By the Company For Cause.  The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment immediately for Cause upon written notice to the Employee, in which event the Company shall be obligated only to pay the Employee that portion of the minimum base annual salary due him through the date of termination.  “Cause” shall mean the Employee’s (i) willful failure to perform the material duties of his position, adhere to the lawful direction of the Board or adhere to the lawful policies and practices of the Company, (ii) conviction of or plea of nolo contendere involving a felony or crime of moral turpitude under the laws of the United States or any state thereof that involves dishonesty or is otherwise detrimental to the Company determined in Board’s good faith, or (iii) material breach of a provision of his employment or other written agreement including, without limitation, the Employee’s failure to fully fund the Purchase Price by the Purchase Deadline.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the occurrence of an event described in (i) through (iii) above is capable of being cured, such occurrence shall constitute Cause only if written notice specifying in reasonable detail the nature thereof is provided to the Employee within ninety (90) days of the alleged event and he shall have substantially failed to cure such event within fourteen (14) days after receiving such notice.

(b)           By the Company Without Cause.  The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment immediately without Cause by giving written notice to the Employee.  If the Company terminates under this Section 10(b):

(i)           The Company shall pay the Employee all amounts owed through the date of termination;

(ii)           In lieu of any further salary and bonus payments or other payments due to the Employee for periods subsequent to the date of termination, under this Agreement or otherwise, the Company shall pay, as severance to the Employee, subject to the Employee executing and delivering to the Company a release of the Company and its affiliates from all known or unknown claims at the date of such termination based upon or arising out of this Agreement, the Employee’s employment, or the termination thereof, in form reasonably acceptable to the Employee (the “Release”) (provided that the Release shall be executed and delivered on or prior to the fifty-fifth (55th) day following the date of the Employee’s termination and shall be in the form of an effective rel ease agreement for which any applicable revocation period has expired), an amount equal to (w) the product of the Employee’s minimum base annual salary in effect as of the date of termination multiplied by the number three, payable in equal installments in accordance with the Company’s payroll periods over the two year period following such termination of employment, (x) the Annual Bonus that would have been paid to the Employee in respect of the fiscal year in which the Employee’s termination of employment occurs based upon the level of performance actually achieved through the Employee’s date of termination, prorated based on the number of days that the Employee was actually employed during such year, and payable on the date on which the Company would otherwise pay bonuses but in no event later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calendar year of the Employee’s date of termination, (y) 50% of any unpaid Special Retention Installment, payable on the date(s) such installment(s) would otherwise be paid had the Employee’s employment not been terminated, and (z) the remaining 50% of any unpaid Special Retention Installment, payable on the date(s) such installment(s) would otherwise be paid had the Employee’s employment not been terminated, but only if, prior to the date of termination of employment, any of the Employee’s Class B Performance Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) were converted to a time vesting schedule pursuant to Section 3.8.3 of the Partnership Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, at the time the Company terminates Employee’s employment under this Section 10(b), the Company is a reporting company under the Exchange Act (as defined below), and the Employee is a “specified employee for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code), then any payments under this Section 10(b)(ii) that otherwise would have been paid during the period commen cing on the date of termination and ending six months after the last day of the calendar month in which the date of termination occurs shall be paid on the first business day that occurs at the end of the period.

(iii)           Subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release, the Company shall maintain in full force and effect for the continued benefit of the Employee during the period commencing on the date of termination and ending on the scheduled expiration of the Term then in effect (without regard to further renewals thereof), all employee benefit plans (except for the Company’s stock incentive plans) and programs in which the Employee was entitled to participate immediately prior to the date of termination, provided that the Employee’s continued participation is not prohibited under the general terms and provisions of such plans and programs, but, if prohibited, the Company shall, at the Company’s expense, arrange for substantial ly equivalent benefits or the equivalent cash value if the Company cannot obtain post-employment insurance coverage from any source after engaging in commercially reasonable efforts; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, there shall only be included, and Employee shall only be entitled to, those benefit plans or programs that are exempt from the term “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” under Section 409A of the Code.

(iv)           Subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release, the Company shall provide the Employee with reimbursement not to exceed $25,000 for the reasonable costs incurred for outplacement services, provided that such cash allowance shall apply only to those costs or obligations that are incurred by the Employee during the twelve month period following the date of the Employee’s termination of employment.  Such reimbursement shall be made on the fifteenth day following the submission of each receipt to the Company evidencing costs or obligations incurred by the Employee in connection with outplacement activities.

Notwithstanding anything in Section 10(b) to the contrary, no amount shall be payable pursuant to this Section 10(b) unless Employee has incurred a Separation from Service (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code, and Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) by reason of a termination of the Employee’s employment by the Company under this Section 10(b).

(c)           By the Employee Without Good Reason.  The Employee may resign from employment immediately without Good Reason by giving written notice to the Company.   If the Employee resigns under this Section 10(c), then the Company shall not pay him any separation or severance pay or other benefit in connection with his termination, but shall only be obligated to pay the Employee any unpaid portion of his base salary that he earned for services he performed through his date of termination.

(d)           By the Employee With Good Reason.  The Employee may resign from employment with Good Reason by giving written notice to the Company.  If the Employee resigns under this Section 10(d), then such resignation shall be treated as a termination by the Company pursuant to Section 10(b).  “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events, without the Employee’s consent, (i) a material failure by the Company to pay any compensation owed to the Employee, (ii) a material reduction in the Employee’s base salary or target bonus percentage, (iii) a material diminution in the Employee’s responsibilities or authority, or (iv) the voluntary r esignation of Andrew F. Puzder as Chief Executive Officer during the period between 90 and 365 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, occurrence of the events described in (i) through (iii) above only shall constitute Good Reason if (A) the Employee provides the Company written notice within sixty (60) days following the occurrence of an event that allegedly constitutes Good Reason; (B) the Company fails to substantially cure such event within thirty (30) days after receiving such notice; and (C) the Employee resigns within thirty (30) days following such failure to cure.  In connection with a resignation for Good Reason on account of a Mr. Puzder’s resignation following a Change of Control (i.e., (iv) above), such resignation shall be deemed to be for Good Reason only where such resignation occurs during the 90-day period commencing on the date of Mr. Puzder’s resignation.

(e)           Disability. If the Employee fails to perform his duties hereunder on account of illness or other incapacity for a period of six consecutive months, then the Company shall have the right upon written notice to the Employee to terminate the Employee’s employment without further obligation by paying the Employee the minimum base annual salary, without offset, for the one year period following such termination, subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release.  The Employee shall also be entitled to additional vesting of his Class B Units to the extent provided in the Partnership Agreement.

(f)           Death. If the Employee dies during the Term, then this Agreement shall terminate immediately and the Employee’s legal representatives shall be entitled to receive the minimum base annual salary for the one year period following such termination, subject to the representative’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release.  The Employee shall also be entitled to additional vesting of his Class B Units to the extent provided in the Partnership Agreement.

(g)           Non-Renewal.  The Employee’s employment will terminate upon the expiration of the Term.  If the term expires by reason of the Employee having provided a Notice of Non-Renewal to the Company, then such termination will be treated as a termination pursuant to Section 10(c).  If the Term expires by reason of the Company having provided a Notice of Non-Renewal to the Employee, then such termination will be treated as a termination pursuant to Section 10(b).

(h)           Effect of Termination. Termination for any reason or for no reason shall not constitute a waiver of the Company’s rights under this Agreement nor a release of the Employee from any obligation hereunder except his obligation to perform his day-to-day duties as an employee.

(i)           Mitigation; Offset. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment provided for in this Section 10 by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall any compensation or other payments received by the Employee after the date of termination reduce any payments due under this Section 10.  However, if the Employee becomes entitled to a benefit from a subsequent employer of the type he is then receiving under Section 10(b)(iii) above, he shall immediately notify the Company, and the benefit he is receiving under Section 10(b)(iii) above shall immediately terminate.

(j)           Certain Taxes.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if the Employee would retain, on an after-tax basis, a greater amount by reducing his entitlement to any amounts payable under or outside of this Agreement that are described in Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement to the extent necessary to avoid any portion of any such payment being treated as a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code, then his entitlement will be so reduced.  Furthermore, if at any time following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Employee has the righ t to receive either directly or indirectly from the Company, payments or benefits which would constitute an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, and the Employee would retain, on an after-tax basis, a greater amount by reducing his entitlement to any amounts payable under or outside of this Agreement that are described in Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code to the extent necessary to avoid any portion of any such payment being treated as a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code, then his entitlement will be so reduced in accordance with Exhibit D.

11.           Non-Delegation of Employee’s Rights. The obligations, rights and benefits of the Employee hereunder are personal and may not be delegated, assigned or transferred in any manner whatsoever, nor are such obligations, rights or benefits subject to involuntary alienation, assignment or transfer.

12.           Confidential Information. The Employee acknowledges that in his capacity as an employee of the Company he will occupy a position of trust and confidence and he further acknowledges that he will have access to and learn substantial information about the Company and its operations that is confidential or not generally known in the industry, including, without limitation, information that relates to purchasing, sales, customers, marketing, and the Company’s financial position and financing arrangements. The Employee agrees that all such information is proprietary or confidential, or constitutes trade secrets and is the sole property of the Company. The Employee will keep confidential, and will not reprod uce, copy or disclose to any other person or firm, any such information or any documents or information relating to the Company’s methods, processes, customers, accounts, analyses, systems, charts, programs, procedures, correspondence or records, or any other documents used or owned by the Company, nor will the Employee advise, discuss with or in any way assist any other person, firm or entity in obtaining or learning about any of the items described in this Section 12. Accordingly, the Employee agrees that during the Term and at all times thereafter he will not disclose, or permit or encourage anyone else to disclose, any such information, nor will he utilize any such information, either alone or with others, outside the scope of his duties and responsibilities with the Company.

13.           Non-Competition During Employment Term. The Employee agrees that, during the Term and any extensions thereof, he will devote substantially all his business time and effort, and give undivided loyalty, to the Company, and that he will not engage in any way whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in any business that is competitive with the Company or its affiliates, nor solicit, or in any other manner work for or assist any business which is competitive with the Company or its affiliates. In addition, during the Term and any extensions thereof, the Employee will undertake no planning for or organization of any business activity competitive with the work he performs as an employee of the Company, and the Employee will not combine or conspire with any other employee of the Company or any other person for the purpose of organizing any such competitive business activity.

14.           Non-Competition After Employment Term.  The Employee shall execute on the Effective Date and be subject to the Non-Competition Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit E.

15.           Return of Company Documents. Upon termination of this Agreement, Employee shall return immediately to the Company all records and documents of or pertaining to the Company and shall not make or retain any copy or extract of any such record or document.

16.           Improvements and Inventions. Any and all improvements or inventions which the Employee may conceive, make or participate in during the period of his employment shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. The Employee will, whenever requested by the Company, execute and deliver any and all documents which the Company shall deem appropriate in order to apply for and obtain patents for improvements or inventions or in order to assign and convey to the Company the sole and exclusive right, title and interest in and to such improvements, inventions, patents or applications.

17.           Actions. The parties agree and acknowledge that the rights conveyed by this Agreement are of a unique and special nature and that the Company will not have an adequate remedy at law in the event of a failure by the Employee to abide by its terms and conditions nor will money damages adequately compensate for such injury. It is therefore agreed between the parties that, in the event of a breach by the Employee of any of his obligations contained in this Agreement or the Non-Competition Agreement, the Company shall have the right, among other rights, to damages sustained thereby, to immediately cease any payments being made or benefits being provided pursuant to Section 10(b) and to obtain an injunction or de cree of specific performance from any court of competent jurisdiction to restrain or compel the Employee to perform as agreed herein.  The Company may not cease any payments being made or benefits being provided pursuant to Section 10(b) unless written notice specifying in reasonable detail the nature of the breach is provided to the Employee within ninety (90) days of the alleged breach and the Employee shall have substantially failed to have cured such breach within fourteen (14) days after receiving such notice, unless the breach is not curable.  The Employee shall be considered to have substantially cured the breach if he takes, or causes to have taken, actions that result in the Company not having incurred a material detriment to its business or reputation as a result of such breach.  The Employee agrees that this Section 17 shall survive the termination of his employment and he shall be bound by its terms at all times subsequent to the termination of his employment for so long a period as Company continues to conduct the same business or businesses as conducted during the Term or any extensions thereof. Nothing herein contained shall in any way limit or exclude any other right granted by law or equity to the Company.

18.           Amendment; Integration. This Agreement, along with the exhibits hereto, contains, and its terms constitute, the entire agreement of the parties, and it may be amended only by a written document signed by both parties to this Agreement. This Agreement supersedes and replaces the Prior Employment Agreement in its entirety, which is of no further force or effect after the Effective Date, and, without limiting the foregoing, exclusively governs any right the Employee may have to compensation following any termination of employment that occurs after the Effective Date.

19.           Governing Law.  California law shall govern the construction and enforcement of this Agreement and the parties agree that any litigation pertaining to this Agreement shall be adjudicated in courts located in California; provided that if the Company is enforcing its rights under the restrictive covenants in a jurisdiction other than California as a result of the Employee’s primary place of work being located other than in California (whether as a result of the Employee or the Company relocating outside of California), then the laws of that other jurisdiction will apply, and any litigation pertaining to such enforcement may be adjudicated in courts located in such jurisdiction.

20.           Attorneys’ Fees.  If any party finds it necessary to employ legal counsel or to bring an action at law or other proceedings against the other party to enforce any of the terms hereof, the party prevailing in any such action or other proceeding shall be paid by the other party its reasonable attorneys’ fees as well as court costs, all as determined by the court and not a jury.

21.           Severability.  If any section, subsection or provision hereof is found for any reason whatsoever, to be invalid or inoperative, that section, subsection or provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the force and validity of any other provision of this Agreement. If any covenant herein is determined by a court to be overly broad thereby making the covenant unenforceable, the parties agree and it is their desire that such court shall substitute a reasonable judicially enforceable limitation in place of the offensive part of the covenant and that as so modified the covenant shall be as fully enforceable as if set forth herein by the parties themselves in the modified form. The covenant s of the Employee in this Agreement shall each be construed as an agreement independent of any other provision in this Agreement, and the existence of any claim or cause of action of the Employee against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of the covenants in this Agreement.

22.           Notices.  Any notice, request, or instruction to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given when personally delivered or three days after being sent by United States certified mail, postage prepaid, with return receipt requested, to the parties at their respective addresses set for the below:

To the Company:

CKE Restaurants, Inc.

6307 Carpinteria Avenue, Suite A

Carpinteria, CA 93013 Attention: General Counsel

To the Employee:

E. Michael Murphy

23.           Waiver of Breach. The waiver by any party of any provisions of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any prior or subsequent breach by the other party.

1 Expressed as an absolute number

2 Expressed as an absolute number

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties have executed this Agreement to be effective as of the date first set forth above.

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC.

By: /s/ Theodore Abajian

Name: Theodore Abajian

Title: Executive Vice President

APOLLO CKE HOLDINGS LP (Solely as to Section 5 and Section 10(e) and (f))

By:           Apollo CKE Holdings GP, LLC

its General Partner

By: /s/ Lance Milken

Name: Lance Milken

Title: Vice President

EMPLOYEE

/s/ E. Michael Murphy

E. Michael Murphy

[Signature Page to Murphy Employment Agreement]

EX-10.3

Exhibit 10.3

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is entered into as of July 12, 2010 by and between CKE RESTAURANTS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and THEODORE ABAJIAN (the “Employee”).

RECITALS:

A.The Company and Employee heretofore entered into an Employment Agreement dated as of January 2004, and amended on December 6, 2005, October 12, 2006, December 16, 2008 and January 28, 2010 (collectively, the “Prior Employment Agreement”).

B.Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated April 18, 2010, among the Company, Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (“Parent”), and Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp. (the “Merger Agreement”), the Company, as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”), becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, which is in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Apollo CKE Holdings, L.P. (“Holdings LP”), which in turn is indirectly majority-owned by investment funds controlled by Apollo Management VII, L.P. (Apollo Management VII, L.P. and the investment funds it controls are hereinafter referred to as “Apollo”).

C.Immediately prior to the Effective Date, the Employee owned a significant number of shares of common stock of the Company and other stock-based rights, and as a result of the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Employee has or shall receive substantial consideration in exchange for such shares and rights.

D.The Company and the Employee desire to supersede the Prior Employment Agreement in its entirety with this Agreement, all effective as of the Effective Date.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the parties agree as follows:

1.Employment and Duties.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Company employs the Employee to serve in an executive and managerial capacity as Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and the Employee accepts such employment and agrees to perform such reasonable responsibilities and duties commensurate with the aforesaid positions as directed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the Company.

2.           Term.  The Employee’s term of employment with the Company under this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and extend until the fourth anniversary thereof (the “Term”), provided that the Term shall automatically be extended for successive one year periods thereafter, unless at least six months prior to the commencement of any such one year period, either party provides written notice to the other (a “Notice of Non-Renewal”) that the Term shall not be so extended.  The Term shall end prior to the scheduled expiration thereof pursuant to the preceding sentence if the Employee’s employment is terminated pursuant to Section 10.

3.           Salary.  During the Term, the Company shall pay the Employee a minimum base annual salary of $500,000.  The Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) may, from time to time after the Effective Date, increase such salary in its sole discretion.

4.           Bonuses.

(a) With respect to each fiscal year of the Company that ends during the Term, the Employee shall be eligible to receive from the Company an annual performance bonus (the “Annual Bonus”).  The Compensation Committee, after consultation with Employee, shall, prior to the commencement of each such fiscal year, agree upon a reasonable target (“Target”) for such fiscal year for the Company’s (i) comparable same store sales, (ii) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), and (iii) free cash flow (collectively the “Metrics” and individually a “Metric”).  The Compensation Committee shall then assign a weighting to each of the Metrics based on the importance it attributes to each Metric by allocating a percentage to each Metric (the “Metric Percentage”) such that the sum of all three Metric Percent ages equals 100%.  Employee shall then earn an Annual Bonus for each such fiscal year equal to the sum of the bonus earned for each Metric, determined as follows:

                           (i)      If the Company achieves below 80% of the Target for any Metric, no bonus shall be earned with respect to such Metric.

                           (ii)     If the Company achieves 80% of the Target for any Metric, Employee shall earn a bonus equal to 50% of his minimum base annual salary in effect on the last day of such fiscal year (the "Current Base") multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

                           (iii)    If the Company achieves greater than 80%, but less than 100%, of the Target for any Metric, Employee’s bonus for such Metric shall be determined by taking the Current Base multiplied by the percentage determined as follows:

50% + [(% points achieved in excess of 80%1/20) x 50%]

This amount shall then be multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric to determine the amount the Employee earned for that Metric.

                           (iv)     If the Company achieves 100% of the Target for any Metric, the Employee shall earn a bonus equal to 100% of Current Base multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

                           (v)      If the Company achieves greater than 100%, but less than 120%, of the Target for any Metric, Employee’s bonus for such Metric shall be determined by taking the Current Base multiplied by the percentage determined as follows:

100% + [(% points achieved in excess of 100%2/20) x 100%]

This amount shall then be multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric to determine the amount the Employee earned for that Metric.

(vi) If the Company achieves 120% or greater of Target for any Metric, Employee shall receive a bonus equal to 200% of Current Base multiplied by the Metric Percentage for that Metric.

Targets for the fiscal year in which the Effective Date occurs will be determined based on the budget presented by management as attached as Exhibit A.  Achievement levels for each Metric for a fiscal year shall be determined by the Compensation Committee based on the audited financial statement for such year, subject to such adjustments to reflect unusual, nonrecurring or extraordinary events as the Board shall deem equitable and appropriate, after consultation with the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and subject to the approval of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Parent.  Any Annual Bonus earned for a fiscal year shall be payable in full as soon as reasonably practicable following the determination thereof, but in no event later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calend ar year in which such fiscal year ends, and in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices and procedures.  Any Annual Bonus (or portion thereof) payable under this Section 4(a) shall not be earned and payable unless the Employee is employed by the Company on the last day of the period to which such Annual Bonus relates.

(b) The Employee shall be entitled to three special retention bonuses each in the amount of $313,750 payable on October 1, 2011, October 1, 2012 and October 1, 2013 respectively (each a “Special Retention Installment”), provided that any unpaid Special Retention Installment will be paid immediately upon a Change of Control.   Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in Section 10(b), upon and following the Employee’s termination of employment for any reason, no further Special Retention Installments will be payable under this Section 4(b).  For purposes of this Agreement, a Change of Control shall have the same meaning as the definition of “Change of Control” set forth in the Partnership Agreement.

5. Equity Investment; Equity Award.

(a) No later than 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on July 16, 2010 (the “Purchase Deadline”), the Employee agrees to purchase from Holdings LP, Class A Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) for aggregate cash consideration of $2,200,000 (the “Purchase Price”) at a price per unit equal to the same price per Class A Unit paid by Apollo for Class A Units on the Effective Date (the “Unit Purchase”).  The Unit Purchase shall otherwise be on the terms set forth in a separate Subscription Agreement entered into by and between Holdings LP and the Employee in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, and the Class A Units shall be subject to the terms set forth in the Holdings LP Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C (the “Partnership Agreement”).   The Purchase Price shall be paid in accordance with the terms of that certain letter agreement on the matter of “Payment for Purchased Units”, dated the Effective Date, among Employee, Holdings LP, the Company and Parent.  In connection with, and simultaneously with, the Unit Purchase, Employee shall execute and deliver the Partnership Agreement as a Management Limited Partner (as defined in the Partnership Agreement).

(b) Upon consummation of the Unit Purchase, Holdings LP shall award the Employee 663,604 Class B Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement).  The Class B Units shall be subject to the terms set forth in the Partnership Agreement, and for purposes of Section 3.8.2 thereof, the Effective Date shall be treated as the date of grant.

6.           Other Compensation and Fringe Benefits.   In addition to any executive bonus, pension, deferred compensation and stock option grants which the Company may from time to time make available to the Employee upon mutual agreement, the Employee shall be entitled to the following during the Term:

(a)The standard Company benefits enjoyed by the Company’s other top executives;

(b)           Payment by the Company of the Employee’s initiation and membership dues in a social and/or recreational club as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Employee (and pre-approved by the Compensation Committee at its discretion) to maintain various business relationships on behalf of the Company; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to pay for any of the Employee’s personal purchases and expenses at such club;

(c)Provision by the Company to the Employee and his dependents of the medical and other insurance coverage provided by the Company to its other top executives. In addition, the Company will reimburse Employee for all medical, dental and vision care expenses incurred by the Employee and his dependents that are not otherwise reimbursed or covered by the base health insurance plan, provided, however, that such amount reimbursed to the Employee in any fiscal year shall not exceed $25,000; and

(d)Provision by the Company of supplemental disability insurance sufficient to provide two-thirds of the Employee’s pre-disability minimum base annual salary for a two-year period.

(e)Section 409A Limitation. Any amounts payable under Sections 6(b), 6(c), 9 or 10(b)(iv) shall be paid no later than December 31 of the year following the year in which the expenses are incurred.

7.           Withholding.  The Company shall deduct from all compensation payable under this Agreement to the Employee any taxes or withholdings the Company is required to deduct pursuant to state and federal laws or by mutual agreement between the parties.

8.           Vacation.  For and during each year of the Term and any extensions thereof, the Employee shall be entitled to reasonable paid vacation periods consistent with his position with the Company and in accordance with the Company’s standard policies, or as the Board may approve. In addition, the Employee shall be entitled to such holidays consistent with the Company’s standard policies or as the Board may approve.

9.           Expense Reimbursement. In addition to the compensation and benefits provided herein, the Company shall, upon receipt of appropriate documentation, reimburse the Employee each month for his reasonable travel, lodging, entertainment, promotion and other ordinary and necessary business expenses in accordance with the Company’s policies then in effect.

10.           Termination.

(a)           By the Company For Cause.  The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment immediately for Cause upon written notice to the Employee, in which event the Company shall be obligated only to pay the Employee that portion of the minimum base annual salary due him through the date of termination.  “Cause” shall mean the Employee’s (i) willful failure to perform the material duties of his position, adhere to the lawful direction of the Board or adhere to the lawful policies and practices of the Company, (ii) conviction of or plea of nolo contendere involving a felony or crime of moral turpitude under the laws of the United States or any state thereof that involves dishonesty or is otherwise detrimental to the Company determined in Board’s good faith, or (iii) material breach of a provision of his employment or other written agreement including, without limitation, the Employee’s failure to fully fund the Purchase Price by the Purchase Deadline.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the occurrence of an event described in (i) through (iii) above is capable of being cured, such occurrence shall constitute Cause only if written notice specifying in reasonable detail the nature thereof is provided to the Employee within ninety (90) days of the alleged event and he shall have substantially failed to cure such event within fourteen (14) days after receiving such notice.

(b)           By the Company Without Cause.  The Company may terminate the Employee’s employment immediately without Cause by giving written notice to the Employee.  If the Company terminates under this Section 10(b):

(i)           The Company shall pay the Employee all amounts owed through the date of termination;

(ii)           In lieu of any further salary and bonus payments or other payments due to the Employee for periods subsequent to the date of termination, under this Agreement or otherwise, the Company shall pay, as severance to the Employee, subject to the Employee executing and delivering to the Company a release of the Company and its affiliates from all known or unknown claims at the date of such termination based upon or arising out of this Agreement, the Employee’s employment, or the termination thereof, in form reasonably acceptable to the Employee (the “Release”) (provided that the Release shall be executed and delivered on or prior to the fifty-fifth (55th) day following the date of the Employee’s termination and shall be in the form of an effective rel ease agreement for which any applicable revocation period has expired), an amount equal to (w) the product of the Employee’s minimum base annual salary in effect as of the date of termination multiplied by the number three, payable in equal installments in accordance with the Company’s payroll periods over the two year period following such termination of employment, (x) the Annual Bonus that would have been paid to the Employee in respect of the fiscal year in which the Employee’s termination of employment occurs based upon the level of performance actually achieved through the Employee’s date of termination, prorated based on the number of days that the Employee was actually employed during such year, and payable on the date on which the Company would otherwise pay bonuses but in no event later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calendar year of the Employee’s date of termination, (y) 50% of any unpaid Special Retention Installment, payable on the date(s) such installment(s) would otherwise be paid had the Employee’s employment not been terminated, and (z) the remaining 50% of any unpaid Special Retention Installment, payable on the date(s) such installment(s) would otherwise be paid had the Employee’s employment not been terminated, but only if, prior to the date of termination of employment, any of the Employee’s Class B Performance Units (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) were converted to a time vesting schedule pursuant to Section 3.8.3 of the Partnership Agreement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, at the time the Company terminates Employee’s employment under this Section 10(b), the Company is a reporting company under the Exchange Act (as defined below), and the Employee is a “specified employee for purposes of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code), then any payments under this Section 10(b)(ii) that otherwise would have been paid during the period commen cing on the date of termination and ending six months after the last day of the calendar month in which the date of termination occurs shall be paid on the first business day that occurs at the end of the period.

(iii)           Subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release, the Company shall maintain in full force and effect for the continued benefit of the Employee during the period commencing on the date of termination and ending on the scheduled expiration of the Term then in effect (without regard to further renewals thereof), all employee benefit plans (except for the Company’s stock incentive plans) and programs in which the Employee was entitled to participate immediately prior to the date of termination, provided that the Employee’s continued participation is not prohibited under the general terms and provisions of such plans and programs, but, if prohibited, the Company shall, at the Company’s expense, arrange for substantial ly equivalent benefits or the equivalent cash value if the Company cannot obtain post-employment insurance coverage from any source after engaging in commercially reasonable efforts; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, there shall only be included, and Employee shall only be entitled to, those benefit plans or programs that are exempt from the term “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” under Section 409A of the Code.

(iv) Subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release, the Company shall provide the Employee with reimbursement not to exceed $25,000 for the reasonable costs incurred for outplacement services, provided that such cash allowance shall apply only to those costs or obligations that are incurred by the Employee during the twelve month period following the date of the Employee’s termination of employment.  Such reimbursement shall be made on the fifteenth day following the submission of each receipt to the Company evidencing costs or obligations incurred by the Employee in connection with outplacement activities.

Notwithstanding anything in Section 10(b) to the contrary, no amount shall be payable pursuant to this Section 10(b) unless Employee has incurred a Separation from Service (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code, and Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) by reason of a termination of the Employee’s employment by the Company under this Section 10(b).

(c)           By the Employee Without Good Reason.  The Employee may resign from employment immediately without Good Reason by giving written notice to the Company.   If the Employee resigns under this Section 10(c), then the Company shall not pay him any separation or severance pay or other benefit in connection with his termination, but shall only be obligated to pay the Employee any unpaid portion of his base salary that he earned for services he performed through his date of termination.

(d)           By the Employee With Good Reason.  The Employee may resign from employment with Good Reason by giving written notice to the Company.  If the Employee resigns under this Section 10(d), then such resignation shall be treated as a termination by the Company pursuant to Section 10(b).  “Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events, without the Employee’s consent, (i) a material failure by the Company to pay any compensation owed to the Employee, (ii) a material reduction in the Employee’s base salary or target bonus percentage, (iii) a material diminution in the Employee’s responsibilities or authority, or (iv) the voluntary r esignation of Andrew F. Puzder as Chief Executive Officer during the period between 90 and 365 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, occurrence of the events described in (i) through (iii) above only shall constitute Good Reason if (A) the Employee provides the Company written notice within sixty (60) days following the occurrence of an event that allegedly constitutes Good Reason; (B) the Company fails to substantially cure such event within thirty (30) days after receiving such notice; and (C) the Employee resigns within thirty (30) days following such failure to cure.  In connection with a resignation for Good Reason on account of a Mr. Puzder’s resignation following a Change of Control (i.e., (iv) above), such resignation shall be deemed to be for Good Reason only where such resignation occurs during the 90-day period commencing on the date of Mr. Puzder’s resignation.

(e)           Disability. If the Employee fails to perform his duties hereunder on account of illness or other incapacity for a period of six consecutive months, then the Company shall have the right upon written notice to the Employee to terminate the Employee’s employment without further obligation by paying the Employee the minimum base annual salary, without offset, for the one year period following such termination, subject to the Employee’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release.  The Employee shall also be entitled to additional vesting of his Class B Units to the extent provided in the Partnership Agreement.

(f)           Death. If the Employee dies during the Term, then this Agreement shall terminate immediately and the Employee’s legal representatives shall be entitled to receive the minimum base annual salary for the one year period following such termination, subject to the representative’s execution, delivery and non-revocation of the Release.  The Employee shall also be entitled to additional vesting of his Class B Units to the extent provided in the Partnership Agreement.

(g)           Non-Renewal.  The Employee’s employment will terminate upon the expiration of the Term.  If the term expires by reason of the Employee having provided a Notice of Non-Renewal to the Company, then such termination will be treated as a termination pursuant to Section 10(c).  If the Term expires by reason of the Company having provided a Notice of Non-Renewal to the Employee, then such termination will be treated as a termination pursuant to Section 10(b).

(h)           Effect of Termination. Termination for any reason or for no reason shall not constitute a waiver of the Company’s rights under this Agreement nor a release of the Employee from any obligation hereunder except his obligation to perform his day-to-day duties as an employee.

(i)           Mitigation; Offset. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment provided for in this Section 10 by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall any compensation or other payments received by the Employee after the date of termination reduce any payments due under this Section 10.  However, if the Employee becomes entitled to a benefit from a subsequent employer of the type he is then receiving under Section 10(b)(iii) above, he shall immediately notify the Company, and the benefit he is receiving under Section 10(b)(iii) above shall immediately terminate.

(j)           Certain Taxes.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if the Employee would retain, on an after-tax basis, a greater amount by reducing his entitlement to any amounts payable under or outside of this Agreement that are described in Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code as a result of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement to the extent necessary to avoid any portion of any such payment being treated as a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code, then his entitlement will be so reduced.  Furthermore, if at any time following the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, Employee has the righ t to receive either directly or indirectly from the Company, payments or benefits which would constitute an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, and the Employee would retain, on an after-tax basis, a greater amount by reducing his entitlement to any amounts payable under or outside of this Agreement that are described in Section 280G(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Code to the extent necessary to avoid any portion of any such payment being treated as a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code, then his entitlement will be so reduced in accordance with Exhibit D.

11.           Non-Delegation of Employee’s Rights. The obligations, rights and benefits of the Employee hereunder are personal and may not be delegated, assigned or transferred in any manner whatsoever, nor are such obligations, rights or benefits subject to involuntary alienation, assignment or transfer.

12.           Confidential Information. The Employee acknowledges that in his capacity as an employee of the Company he will occupy a position of trust and confidence and he further acknowledges that he will have access to and learn substantial information about the Company and its operations that is confidential or not generally known in the industry, including, without limitation, information that relates to purchasing, sales, customers, marketing, and the Company’s financial position and financing arrangements. The Employee agrees that all such information is proprietary or confidential, or constitutes trade secrets and is the sole property of the Company. The Employee will keep confidential, and will not reprod uce, copy or disclose to any other person or firm, any such information or any documents or information relating to the Company’s methods, processes, customers, accounts, analyses, systems, charts, programs, procedures, correspondence or records, or any other documents used or owned by the Company, nor will the Employee advise, discuss with or in any way assist any other person, firm or entity in obtaining or learning about any of the items described in this Section 12. Accordingly, the Employee agrees that during the Term and at all times thereafter he will not disclose, or permit or encourage anyone else to disclose, any such information, nor will he utilize any such information, either alone or with others, outside the scope of his duties and responsibilities with the Company.

13.           Non-Competition During Employment Term. The Employee agrees that, during the Term and any extensions thereof, he will devote substantially all his business time and effort, and give undivided loyalty, to the Company, and that he will not engage in any way whatsoever, directly or indirectly, in any business that is competitive with the Company or its affiliates, nor solicit, or in any other manner work for or assist any business which is competitive with the Company or its affiliates. In addition, during the Term and any extensions thereof, the Employee will undertake no planning for or organization of any business activity competitive with the work he performs as an employee of the Company, and the Employee will not combine or conspire with any other employee of the Company or any other person for the purpose of organizing any such competitive business activity.

14.           Non-Competition After Employment Term.  The Employee shall execute on the Effective Date and be subject to the Non-Competition Agreement in the form attached as Exhibit E.

15.           Return of Company Documents. Upon termination of this Agreement, Employee shall return immediately to the Company all records and documents of or pertaining to the Company and shall not make or retain any copy or extract of any such record or document.

16.           Improvements and Inventions. Any and all improvements or inventions which the Employee may conceive, make or participate in during the period of his employment shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. The Employee will, whenever requested by the Company, execute and deliver any and all documents which the Company shall deem appropriate in order to apply for and obtain patents for improvements or inventions or in order to assign and convey to the Company the sole and exclusive right, title and interest in and to such improvements, inventions, patents or applications.

17.           Actions. The parties agree and acknowledge that the rights conveyed by this Agreement are of a unique and special nature and that the Company will not have an adequate remedy at law in the event of a failure by the Employee to abide by its terms and conditions nor will money damages adequately compensate for such injury. It is therefore agreed between the parties that, in the event of a breach by the Employee of any of his obligations contained in this Agreement or the Non-Competition Agreement, the Company shall have the right, among other rights, to damages sustained thereby, to immediately cease any payments being made or benefits being provided pursuant to Section 10(b) and to obtain an injunction or de cree of specific performance from any court of competent jurisdiction to restrain or compel the Employee to perform as agreed herein.  The Company may not cease any payments being made or benefits being provided pursuant to Section 10(b) unless written notice specifying in reasonable detail the nature of the breach is provided to the Employee within ninety (90) days of the alleged breach and the Employee shall have substantially failed to have cured such breach within fourteen (14) days after receiving such notice, unless the breach is not curable.  The Employee shall be considered to have substantially cured the breach if he takes, or causes to have taken, actions that result in the Company not having incurred a material detriment to its business or reputation as a result of such breach.  The Employee agrees that this Section 17 shall survive the termination of his employment and he shall be bound by its terms at all times subsequent to the termination of his employment for so long a period as Company continues to conduct the same business or businesses as conducted during the Term or any extensions thereof. Nothing herein contained shall in any way limit or exclude any other right granted by law or equity to the Company.

18.           Amendment; Integration. This Agreement, along with the exhibits hereto, contains, and its terms constitute, the entire agreement of the parties, and it may be amended only by a written document signed by both parties to this Agreement. This Agreement supersedes and replaces the Prior Employment Agreement in its entirety, which is of no further force or effect after the Effective Date, and, without limiting the foregoing, exclusively governs any right the Employee may have to compensation following any termination of employment that occurs after the Effective Date.

19.           Governing Law.  California law shall govern the construction and enforcement of this Agreement and the parties agree that any litigation pertaining to this Agreement shall be adjudicated in courts located in California; provided that if the Company is enforcing its rights under the restrictive covenants in a jurisdiction other than California as a result of the Employee’s primary place of work being located other than in California (whether as a result of the Employee or the Company relocating outside of California), then the laws of that other jurisdiction will apply, and any litigation pertaining to such enforcement may be adjudicated in courts located in such jurisdiction.

20.           Attorneys’ Fees.  If any party finds it necessary to employ legal counsel or to bring an action at law or other proceedings against the other party to enforce any of the terms hereof, the party prevailing in any such action or other proceeding shall be paid by the other party its reasonable attorneys’ fees as well as court costs, all as determined by the court and not a jury.

21.           Severability.  If any section, subsection or provision hereof is found for any reason whatsoever, to be invalid or inoperative, that section, subsection or provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the force and validity of any other provision of this Agreement. If any covenant herein is determined by a court to be overly broad thereby making the covenant unenforceable, the parties agree and it is their desire that such court shall substitute a reasonable judicially enforceable limitation in place of the offensive part of the covenant and that as so modified the covenant shall be as fully enforceable as if set forth herein by the parties themselves in the modified form. The covenant s of the Employee in this Agreement shall each be construed as an agreement independent of any other provision in this Agreement, and the existence of any claim or cause of action of the Employee against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of the covenants in this Agreement.

22.           Notices.  Any notice, request, or instruction to be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given when personally delivered or three days after being sent by United States certified mail, postage prepaid, with return receipt requested, to the parties at their respective addresses set for the below:

To the Company:

CKE Restaurants, Inc.

6307 Carpinteria Avenue, Suite A

Carpinteria, CA 93013 Attention: General Counsel

To the Employee:

Theodore Abajian

23.           Waiver of Breach. The waiver by any party of any provisions of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any prior or subsequent breach by the other party.

1 Expressed as an absolute number

2 Expressed as an absolute number

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties have executed this Agreement to be effective as of the date first set forth above.

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC.

By: /s/ Andrew F. Puzder

Name: Andrew F. Puzder

Title: Chief Executive Officer

APOLLO CKE HOLDINGS LP (Solely as to Section 5 and Section 10(e) and (f))

By:           Apollo CKE Holdings GP, LLC

its General Partner

By: /s/ Lance Milken

Name: Lance Milken

Title: Vice President

EMPLOYEE

/s/ Theodore Abajian

Theodore Abajian

[Signature Page to Abajian Employment Agreement]

EX-10.4

Exhibit 10.4

MANAGEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT

This MANAGEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT, is dated as of July 12, 2010 (this “Agreement”), among CKE Restaurants, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“CKE”), Columbia Lake Acquisition Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Holdings”, and together with CKE, the “Companies”), and Apollo Management VII, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (together with its affiliates, “Apollo” or the “Manager”).

WHEREAS, Holdings has on the date hereof consummated the acquisition of CKE (the “Acquisition”) pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 18, 2010 (the “Merger Agreement”) among CKE, Holdings and Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation;

WHEREAS, the Companies have obtained and desire to continue to obtain from the Manager, and the Manager has provided and desires to continue to provide to the Companies, certain investment banking, management, consulting and financial planning services on an ongoing basis and certain financial advisory and investment banking services in connection with major financial transactions that may be undertaken by the Companies or their subsidiaries from time to time in the future; and

WHEREAS, this Agreement has been approved by the each of the Companies’ board of directors.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises made herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged by each party, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1.Retention of Services.

1.1General Services.  Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Manager hereby agrees, at the Companies’ request, to provide investment banking, management, consulting and financial planning services to the Companies on an ongoing basis in connection with the operation and growth of the Companies and their subsidiaries in the ordinary course of their businesses during the term of this Agreement (the “General Services”).  The scope of the General Services to be provided by the Manager shall be such as reasonably requested by the Companies and agreed to by the Man ager from time to time.

1.2Major Transaction Services.  Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Manager hereby agrees, at the Companies’ request, to provide financial advisory and investment banking services to the Companies in connection with major financial transactions that may be undertaken by the Companies or their subsidiaries from time to time in the future (the “Major Transaction Services”).  The scope of the Major Transaction Services shall be such as reasonably requested by the Companies and agreed to by the Manager from time to time.

2.Compensation.

2.1General Services Fee.  In consideration of the General Services, the Companies shall pay the Manager an annual fee payable in cash (the “Annual Fee”) equal to $2,500,000; provided, however, that the Manager, in its sole discretion and at any time upon written notice to the Companies, may increase such fee up to an amount equal to two percent (2%) of the annual EBITDA of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.  The Annual Fee shall be payable by the Companies in equal monthly installments in advance, on the first business day of each month commencing on the first such day following the date hereof.  For purposes of this Section 2.1, “EBITDA”, “Borrower” and “Subsidiaries” shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among Holdings, Columbia Lake Acquisition Corp., Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and the other parties listed therein.

2.2Major Transaction Services Fee.  In consideration of any Major Transaction Services provided by the Manager from time to time, the Companies shall pay the Manager normal and customary fees for services of like kind as agreed by the Manager and the Companies, taking into consideration all relevant factors, including but not limited to, the complexity of the subject transaction, the time devoted to providing such services and the value of the Manager’s financial advisory and/or investment banking expertise and relationships within the business and financial community.

2.3Transaction Fee.  In connection with the services provided to the Companies in connection with the Acquisition and the transactions contemplated by, and pursuant to the terms of, the Merger Agreement, the Companies agree to pay to the Manager a transaction fee in the aggregate amount of $10,000,000 (the “Transaction Fee”), plus reimbursement to the Manager of out of pocket expenses incurred by the Manager in connection with the services provided in connection with the Acquisition and the transactions contemplated by, and pursuant to the terms of, the Merger Agreement.  T he transaction fee and all out of pocket expenses to be paid pursuant to this Section 2.3 shall be earned upon the Closing (as such term is defined in the Merger Agreement) and shall be payable in cash on the date of the Closing.

2.4Expenses.  In addition to the fees to be paid to the Manager under Sections 2.1 and 2.2 hereof, the Companies shall pay to, or on behalf of, the Manager, promptly as billed, an amount equal to all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Manager in connection with the services requested by the Companies to be provided by the Manager pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.  Such expenses shall include, among other things, fees and disbursements of counsel, travel expenses, word processing charges, messenger and duplicating services, telephone and facsimile expenses and other customary expenditures.

3.Term.

3.1Termination.  This Agreement shall terminate on the tenth anniversary of this Agreement; provided, that in connection with or at anytime following a Qualified IPO (as such term is defined in that certain Limited Partnership Agreement of Apollo CKE Holdings, L.P., dated as of the date hereof, and as may be amended from time to time), the Companies shall, acting at the direction of a majority of the disinterested directors thereof, have the option of terminating this Agreement upon payment to the Manager of the net present value of any Annual Fees, calculated at a 10% discount rate, that would otherwise be payable to the Manager absent such termination for the remainder of the term.

3.2Survival of Certain Obligations.  Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, the obligations of the Companies to pay amounts due with respect to periods prior to the termination hereof pursuant to Section 2 hereof and the provisions of Sections 4 and 5 hereof shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

4.Decisions and Authority of the Manager.

4.1Limitation on the Manager’s Liability.  The Companies reserve the right to make all decisions with regard to any matter upon which the Manager has rendered advice and consultation, and there shall be no liability of the Manager for any such advice accepted by the Companies pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

4.2Independent Contractor.  The Manager shall act solely as an independent contractor and shall have complete charge of its respective personnel engaged in the performance of the services under this Agreement.  As an independent contractor, the Manager shall have authority only to act as an advisor to the Companies and shall have no authority to enter into any agreement or to make any representation, commitment or warranty binding upon the Companies or to obtain or incur any right, obligation or liability on behalf of the Companies.  Nothing contained in this Agreement shall result in the Manager or any of its partners or members or any of their affiliates, investment managers, investment advisors or partners being a partner of or joint venturer with the Companies.

5.Indemnification.

5.1Indemnification/Reimbursement of Expenses.  The Companies shall (i) indemnify the Manager and each of its partners and members and their respective affiliates, investment managers, investment advisors and their respective affiliates, and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons of the Manager and its partners and its affiliates (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”), to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several, to which any Indemnified Party may become sub ject, directly or indirectly caused by, related to or arising out of the services or any other advice or services contemplated by this Agreement or the engagement of the Manager pursuant to, or the performance by the Manager of the services contemplated by, this Agreement, and (ii) promptly reimburse each Indemnified Party for all costs and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorneys' fees and expenses), as incurred, in connection with the investigation of, preparation for or defense of any pending or threatened claim or any action or proceeding arising therefrom, whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party and whether or not such claim, action or proceeding is initiated or brought by or on behalf of the Companies and whether or not resulting in any liability.

5.2Limited Liability.  The Companies shall not be liable under the indemnification contained in Section 5.1 hereof with respect to the Manager and its Indemnified Parties to the extent that such loss, claim, damage, liability, cost or expense is found in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted directly from the Manager’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.  The Companies further agree that no Indemnified Party shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to the Companies, holders of their securities or their creditors related to or arising out of the eng agement of the Manager pursuant to, or the performance by the Manager of the services contemplated by, this Agreement.

6.Miscellaneous.

6.1Assignment.  None of the parties hereto shall assign this Agreement or the rights and obligations hereunder, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Apollo; provided, however, that, without obtaining such consent, Apollo may assign this Agreement or its rights and obligations hereunder to (i) any of its partners or members or their affiliates or any person who controls Apollo; or (ii) any investment fund, investment account or investment entity whose investment manager, investment advisor or partner, or any principal or beneficial owner of any of the foregoing, is any person identified in clause (i) above.  Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right hereunder or by virtue hereof.

6.2Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware as applied to contracts made and performed within the State of Delaware without regard to principles of conflict of laws.

6.3Joint and Several Obligations.  The obligations of the Companies under this Agreement are the joint and several obligations of Holdings and CKE.

6.4Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their best efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction.  It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they wo uld have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any such terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions which may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.

6.5Entire Agreement.  This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes all written or verbal representations, warranties, commitments and other understandings with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement prior to the date of this Agreement.

6.6Further Assurances.  Each party hereto agrees to use all reasonable efforts to obtain all consents and approvals and to do all other things necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.  The parties agree to take such further action and to deliver or cause to be delivered any additional agreements or instruments as any of them may reasonably request for the purpose of carrying out this Agreement and the agreements and transactions contemplated hereby.

6.7Attorneys’ Fees.  In any action or proceeding brought to enforce any provision of this Agreement, or where any provision hereof is validly asserted as a defense, the prevailing party, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, shall be entitled to recover reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees in addition to any other available remedy.

6.8Headings.  The headings in this Agreement are for convenience and reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof.

6.9Amendment and Waiver.  This Agreement may be amended, modified or supplemented, and waivers or consents to departures from the provisions hereof may be given, provided that the same are in writing and signed by each of the parties hereto.

6.10Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

COLUMBIA LAKE ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, INC.

By: /s/ Peter Copses

Name:  Peter Copses

Title:    President

CKE RESTAURANTS, INC.

By: /s/ Theodore Abajian

Name:  Theodore Abajian

Title:    Executive Vice President

APOLLO MANAGEMENT VII, L.P.

By:  AIF VII Management, LLC, its General Partner

By: /s/ Peter Copses

Name: Peter Copses

Title:   Vice President

EX-10.5

Exhibit 10.5

SEPARATION AGREEMENT AND GENERAL RELEASE

Noah J. Griggs (the “Employee”) and CKE Restaurants, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby terminate their employment relationship on the following basis:

1.Employee’s employment, his employment-related compensation and benefits, and his January 2004 Employment Agreement with the Company and all Amendments thereto, terminated effective April 13, 2010 (the “Separation Date”).  Employee understands that the Company has no obligation to reemploy him in the future.

2.Employee represents and agrees that he has received all compensation owed to him by the Company through his Separation Date, including any and all wages, bonuses, commissions, stock, stock options, ESPP matching contributions, deferred compensation, pension benefits, earned but unused vacation, reimbursable business expenses, and any other payments, benefits, or other compensation of any kind to which he was or may have been entitled from the Company.

3.Employee understands that after his Separation Date, his group health and dental insurance benefits may only be continued in accordance with the provisions of federal COBRA and/or Cal-COBRA.

4.The Company hereby relieves Employee of the post-employment contractual obligations specified under Section 11 of his January 2004 Employment Agreement.

5.The parties acknowledge that Employee currently owns an aggregate of 65,697 shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Common Stock”), which includes an aggregate of 7,000 shares of restricted stock  (the “Restricted Stock”).  Employee acknowledges that, except for the shares of the Common Stock (including the Vested Shares and Unvested Shares) referred to in the preceding sentence, Employee does not own any shares of capital stock of the Company or any options, warrants, rights to subscribe for, or securities or rights convertible into, any shares of capital stock of the Company.  In addition, without limiting the foregoing, Employee acknowledges that all options to purc hase the Common Stock issued pursuant to the Company’s 1999 Stock Incentive Plan, the Company’s 2001 Stock Incentive Plan, and the Company’s 2005 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended (collectively, the “Company Stock Plans”), held by Employee prior to the Separation Date have been exercised, cancelled or terminated prior to the Separation Date and Employee no longer has any rights with respect to such options.

6.Of the 7,000 shares of Restricted Stock held by Employee, 3,501 shares are vested as of the Separation Date (the “Vested Shares”) and 3,499 shares are unvested as of the Separation Date (the “Unvested Shares”).  Employee acknowledges that the Vested Shares will remain subject to the terms and conditions of the Company Stock Plans and the Restricted Stock Award Agreements  under which the Vested Shares were issued (the “Restricted Stock Agreements”).  Employee further acknowledges that the termination of his employment relationship with the Company pursuant to this Separation Agreement and General Release constitutes a termination of “Continuous Service” under the Restricted Stock Agreements.  Accordingly, the Unvested Shares will not vest following the Separation Date.  Pursuant to Section 4(a) of each of the Restricted Stock Agreements, the Company hereby exercises its “Repurchase Right” with respect to the Unvested Shares.  Employee acknowledges that the purchase price for the Unvested Shares was zero.  As a result, Employee hereby agrees to transfer the Unvested Shares to the Company for no additional consideration.  Employee further acknowledges that this Separation Agreement and General Release constitutes the written notice of the exercise of the Repurchase Right as required by Section 4(c) of the Restricted Stock Agreements.  Employee hereby agrees to take all such actions as are reasonably necessary in order to accomplish the purposes and intentions of this Paragraph 6.

7.Employee represents to the Company that he is signing this Separation Agreement and General Release voluntarily, and with a full understanding of and agreement with its terms, for the purpose of receiving additional consideration from the Company beyond that which is otherwise owed to him.

8.In reliance on the Employee’s promises, representations, and releases in this Agreement, eight (8) days after the Company’s receipt of this executed Separation Agreement and General Release and provided Employee does not revoke this Agreement within the seven (7) day revocation period referenced in the Older Workers’ Benefit Protection Act provision contained in Paragraph 11 below, the Company will:

(a)Provide Employee with a lump sum payment in the gross amount of Ninety Five Thousand Five Hundred and Nine Dollars and Eighty Cents ($95,509.80), less legally required taxes, deductions and withholdings; and

(b)Relieve Employee of any obligation to repay relocation costs associated with his move from St. Louis, Missouri to Santa Barbara, California.

In exchange for the consideration provided to Employee as set forth above, Employee hereby waives and releases all claims, known and unknown, which he has or might otherwise have had against the Company, including itself and its current and former parent, subsidiaries, and related entities, and their former and current officers, directors, shareholders, executives, managers, supervisors, employees, agents, insurers, attorneys, and successors (hereinafter collectively referred to as “the Released Parties”), arising prior to the date he signs this Agreement, including but not limited to all claims regarding any aspect of his employment, compensation, the cessation of his employment with the Company, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title VII of the Civil Rights Ac t of 1964, 42 U.S.C. section 1981, the Fair Labor Standards Acts, the WARN Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, California Government Code section 12900, et seq., the Unruh Civil Rights Act, California Civil Code section 51, all provisions of the California Labor Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. section 1001, et seq., all as amended, any other federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance or public policy, contract, tort or property law theory, and/or any other cause of action whatsoever that arose on or before the date Employee signs this Agreement.  This release includes a waiver by Employee of any and all claims for contribution or indemnification, whether based on common law, contract (whether as a party or as a third party beneficiary), equity, or statute (including Labor Code section 2802), against any of the Released Parties related to any act, omission, or conduct by Employee that involves or relates in any way to (i) the capital stock of the Company (whether vested or unvested), and any options, warrants, rights to subscribe for, or securities or rights convertible into, any shares of capital stock of the Company, (ii) Employee's trading activities relating to any securities of the Company identified in clause (i) above, (iii) the Company’s Insider Trading Policy and related policies and guidelines, (iv) compensation under Employee’s January 2004 Employment Agreement and all Amendments thereto, (v) Employee’s separation from the Company, and (vi) any investigative, administrative, regulatory or legal action or proceeding relating to the items described in clauses (i) through (v) above.  Employee further agrees to withdraw with prejudice all claims, complaints, charges, or other requests for relief, if any, he has filed against any of the Released Parties with any agency, court, administrative tribunal, or other forum prior to the date he signs this Separation Agreement and General Release.

9.It is further understood and agreed that, as a condition of this Agreement, all rights under Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California are expressly waived by Employee.  Such Section reads as follows:

“A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor.”

Thus, for the purpose of implementing a full and complete release and discharge of the Released Parties, Employee expressly acknowledges that this Agreement is intended to include and does include in its effect, without limitation, all claims which Employee does not know or suspect to exist in his favor against the Released Parties at the time of execution hereof, and that this Agreement expressly contemplates the extinguishment of all such claims.

10.The release in this Agreement includes, but is not limited to, claims arising under federal, state or 1ocal law for age, race, sex or other forms of employment discrimination and retaliation.  In accordance with the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, Employee hereby knowingly and voluntarily waives and releases all rights and claims, known and unknown, arising under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, which he might otherwise have had against the Released Parties.  Employee is hereby advised that he should consult with an attorney before signing this Agreement, and that he has 21 days in which to consider and accept this Agreement by signing and returning this Agreement to Andrew P uzder, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.  In addition, Employee has a period of seven days following his execution of this Agreement in which he may revoke the Agreement.  If Employee does not advise Andrew Puzder by a writing received within such seven day period of Employee’s revocation of his acceptance of the Agreement, the Agreement will become effective and enforceable upon the expiration of the seven days.

11.Employee acknowledges that, during his employment, he occupied a position of trust and confidence with the Company and that he had access to and learned substantial information about the Company and its operations that is confidential or not generally known in the industry, including, without limitation, information that relates to purchasing, sales, customers, marketing, and the Company’s financial position and financing arrangements.  Employee agrees that all such information is proprietary or otherwise confidential, or constitutes trade secrets, and is the sole property of the Company.  Employee agrees that he will keep confidential, and will not reproduce, copy or disclose to any other person, firm o r entity, any such information or any documents or information relating to the Company’s methods, processes, customers, accounts, analyses, systems, charts, programs, procedures, correspondence, finances or records, or any other documents used or owned by the Company, nor will Employee advise, discuss with or in any way assist any other person, firm or entity in obtaining or learning about any of the items described herein.  Employee agrees that he will not at any time in the future reveal, disclose, divulge or make known any such information, directly or indirectly, to any person, or use the same in any manner whatsoever for himself or any other person, firm or entity.  All such information is and shall remain the exclusive property of the Company.

12.As a further condition of payment of the consideration described in this Agreement, Employee represents and warrants that he has returned all Company property in his possession or control, including all computers, cell phones, Blackberries, access cards, keys, reports, manuals, documents, records, correspondence and/or other documents or materials related to the Company’s business that Employee has compiled, generated or received while working for the Company, including all originals, copies (in whatever form), samples, computer data or records of such material.  Furthermore, Employee confirms that he has delivered all passwords in use at the time of his separation, a list of any documents that Employee created or is otherwise aware that are password-protected, and the password(s) necessary to access such password-protected documents.  Employee may continue to use the cell phone number previously assigned to his Company-provided cell phone.

13.Employee acknowledges that he has no knowledge of any wrongdoing by the Company or any of its current or former directors or officers.

14.The parties to this Agreement agree to bear their own costs and attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement.  Employee acknowledges that the Company, by this Agreement, has advised Employee to consult with an attorney of Employee’s choice prior to executing this Agreement.  Employee acknowledges that he has had the opportunity to be represented by legal counsel during the negotiation and execution of this Agreement, and agrees to be legally bound by this Agreement.

15.This Separation Agreement and General Release shall not be construed against any party merely because that party drafted or revised the provision in question, and it shall not be construed as an admission by the Released Parties of any improper, wrongful, or unlawful actions, or any other wrongdoing against Employee, and the Released Parties specifically disclaim any liability to or wrongful acts against Employee.

16.Employee acknowledges that the Released Parties have made no promises to him other than those set forth this Separation Agreement and General Release.  Employee further acknowledges and agrees that he is not entitled to receive, and will not claim, any right, benefit, compensation, or relief other than what is expressly set forth in this Separation Agreement and General Release.

17.This Agreement may be modified only by a written agreement signed by both parties.

18.This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of California.  In the event any provision of this Agreement is void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

19.This Separation Agreement and General Release contains the entire agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter hereof, and supersedes Employee’s January 2004 Employment Agreement and all Amendments thereto which will no longer be of any force and effect, as well as any and all other prior and contemporaneous oral and written agreements.

Dated: April 13, 2010	/s/ Noah J. Griggs, Jr.
	Employee Signature
	Noah Griggs
	Employee – Print Name

	CKE Restaurants, Inc.
By:	/s/ Andrew F. Puzder
Name :	Andrew F. Puzder
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Andrew F. Puzder, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 9, 2010, of CKE Restaurants, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and we have:

(a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: September 28, 2010

/s/ Andrew F. Puzder                                                                    

Andrew F. Puzder

Chief Executive Officer

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Theodore Abajian, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 9, 2010, of CKE Restaurants, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and we have:

(a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: September 28, 2010

/s/ Theodore Abajian                                   

Theodore Abajian

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Andrew F. Puzder, certify pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 that:

1. The Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended August 9, 2010 (the “Quarterly Report”) complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a) or 780(d)); and

2. The information contained in the Quarterly Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: September 28, 2010                                                                    /s/ Andrew F. Puzder

Andrew F. Puzder

Chief Executive Officer

This certification accompanies the Quarterly Report pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and shall not be deemed filed by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. This certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates it by reference.

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Theodore Abajian, certify pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 that:

1. The Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended August 9, 2010 (the “Quarterly Report”) complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a) or 780(d)); and

2. The information contained in the Quarterly Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: September 28, 2010                                                                    /s/ Theodore Abajian

Theodore Abajian

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

This certification accompanies the Quarterly Report pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and shall not be deemed filed by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. This certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the registrant specifically incorporates it by reference.