Carl's Jr operator CKE Inc files for $100 mln IPO

By Staff Reporter

May 18, 2012 01:44 PM EDT

Private equity-backed CKE Inc, which operates the Carl's Jr and Hardees fast food chains, filed with U.S. regulators on Thursday to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering.

CKE was taken private by Apollo Management in a nearly $700 million deal in 2010.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the restaurant operator said it would apply to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'CK.'

The filing did not reveal the underwriters of the offering or the number of shares to be sold or their expected price.

CKE, which has more than 3,000 owned or franchised locations across 42 U.S. states and 25 foreign countries, said Apollo would continue to control a majority of its voting common stock after the IPO.

The company posted a loss of $19.3 million on revenue of $1.28 billion for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31.

The company paid out $98.1 million in interest expense in the year.

CKE will be the second private equity-backed restaurant chain to file for an IPO since April.

Bain Capital-backed Bloomin' Brands Filed for an IPO last month. On Wednesday, the operator of the Outback Steakhouse chain raised the size of its offering by 15 percent to $345 million, and added five underwriters.

Earlier in May, Ignite Restaurant Group, which runs the Joe's Crab Shack chain of restaurants, made a strong debut. Its shares have risen more than 25 percent from their IPO price. Ignite is backed by J.H. Whitney.

The amount of money a company says it plans to raise in its first IPO filings is used to calculate registration fees. The final size of the IPO could be different.

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