of the season, which is Wednesday. (Amanda LaCasse/DD)
Carl’s Jr. opened a new location Monday morning at US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix with the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.
Jason LeVecke, CEO of Frontier Star Carl’s Jr., said the company had always been anxious to be located downtown and the sponsorship with the Suns has made it possible.
“When we were getting together with the Suns we thought we could get a great venue here that could serve both the public and the fans at the same time,” LeVecke said. “This unit turned out to be perfect.”
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Suns and Mercury president Jason Rowley said this new partnership with Carl’s Jr. has brought a new level of energy and excitement to the US Airways Center that he thought fans would appreciate.
He said being able to open the restaurant before the Suns’ season ends was a great thing for both sides of the partnership. The Suns’ final game this season is Wednesday.
“We’re all about customer service and fan experience and so is Carl’s Jr., so we’ve really enjoyed this great partnership and we’re going to continue to grow,” Rowley said.
After the ceremony, LeVecke said the new location was a great opportunity to showcase the Carl’s Jr. brand to those who have never been to the restaurant before.
“In our industry it’s all about breaking habits,” LeVecke said. “If you grew up going to a different brand, you may not come to ours. People get to walk into our downtown location, be in the atmosphere, see the venue and taste the food, and when they go home, they might frequent our restaurant more because of the experience they had there.”
LeVecke said there are few fast food options downtown and many companies are trying to get in with the resurgence that is going on in the area.
“We feel especially lucky being able to work at this location,” LeVecke said. “It’s hard to find the right spot and we feel great about this one.”
During the ceremony, Phoenix councilman Michael Nowakowski of District 7 said the opening of the Carl’s Jr. is exciting for downtown Phoenix.
LeVecke said Carl’s Jr. gave a check of $1,000 to Phoenix Suns Charities and Operation: Military Kids, which supports children of both active members of the military and veterans.
According to LeVecke, Carl’s Jr. has about 85 restaurants in Arizona and 45 in Maricopa County alone.
After the ceremony, Carl’s Jr. representatives dispersed across the downtown area and distributed free biscuit samples to pedestrians.
Businesses like Carl’s Jr. have attracted more foot traffic in the wake of the Suns’ recent success. The Suns, who were eliminated from the NBA playoffs Monday, have bounced back to a winning record after a poor previous season and the economic benefit of higher attendance has been felt by many businesses in the area.
Contact the reporter at Ashton.Meisner@asu.edu.
