Toowoomba Carl’s Jr: Construction to start before end of 2024 amid collapse of major franchisee

Carl’s Jr is still building restaurants in Queensland, despite the brand’s master franchisee being placed into administration. Here’s why it’s still going ahead:

Toowoomba’s newest fast-food restaurant will start construction before the end of the year, with the developer hoping to have secured a contractor this month.

Carl’s Jr’s latest Queensland restaurant in Wilsonton is ready to proceed to construction, with former Toowoomba McDonald’s franchisee Keith Beer currently carrying out a tender process for the build.

It is understood his nephew David will run it as franchisee, with the store to employ more than 100 people.

The restaurant on Bridge St, opposite Wilsonton Shopping Centre, will be the state’s 14th location and only the second outside of the southeast corner.

It comes as the brand in Australia suffered a major setback following news the country’s major Carl’s Jr franchisee had been placed in voluntary administration.

While 20 of the 24 stores under direct control of Melbourne-based CJ’s Group have closed across eastern Australia, another 25 independently-owned and operated locations remain open and are unaffected by the move.

Keith Beer. Photo: Bev Lacey / The Chronicle

Those still open include all of Queensland’s restaurants, with Mr Beer confirming American representatives had assured him the Toowoomba site could proceed.

“It’s all systems go — the Americans are already setting up their own team, they’re going to issue a new license to the remaining stores,” he said.

“They gave incentives to show their generosity and that they’re dinky-di.

“Australia is one of these main countries they want to develop further.

“We’re still going through the tender process (for contractors) but hopefully by August 16, we should have a good idea of who is building the place.”

It has been a long road to start construction on the new restaurant, which was approved by Toowoomba Regional Council at a special meeting early last year.