Carl's Jr. Opening Will Draw Animal Rights Protesters To Midtown

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Animal rights activists are set to crash the opening of burger chain Carl's Jr. first New York City restaurant in Midtown Manhattan this week, according to protest organizers.

The Humane League and more than one dozen animal rights activists are set to protest in front of Midtown's newest fast food offering when it debuts Wednesday, according to a press release. The demonstration is targeting Carl's Jr. due to inhumane practices of its parent company CKE Restaurants Holdings, according to protest organizers.

The protest group is calling on CKE Restaurants Holdings to adopt basic welfare guides for the chickens in its supply chain.

"Considering the recent rebranding of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., we hope that its leadership will take their previous statements seriously and commit to eliminating the worst practices in chicken factory farming from its supply chain," Taylor Ford, director of campaigns at The Humane League, said in a statement. "Customers nationwide are voicing their concerns about CKE’s support of animal abuse, and today’s demonstration aims to urge the company to listen to its consumers and take action on this issue."

Protesters plan to gather in front of the new Carl's Jr. location on the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 33rd Street from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., according to organizers. The protesters will display images of fast-growth chickens and plan to hand out leaflets to customers entering the restaurant.

Carl's Jr. announced it would be opening its first New York City location in November. New Yorkers may recognize Carl's Jr. for its ads featuring bikini models brandishing comically large sandwiches or its former chief executive Andrew Puzder. Puzder was nominated by Donald Trump to serve as the United States Secretary of Labor, but eventually withdrew from consideration after losing the support of many Republican Senators, the New York Times reported.

But the company is now in the midst of a rebranding. It's ditched the bikinis and tanning oil in an effort to bring focus back on the food. Whether that helps the chain succeed in New York City remains to be seen.

Rendering courtesy Carl's Jr.