CSUN Chooses Burger King After 18-Month Dispute

Cal State Northridge, which rejected a Carl’s Jr. fast-food outlet on campus because of protests against the politics of the chain’s founder, will instead open a Burger King on March 15, university officials said Thursday.

Burger King was chosen over other chains because of its willingness to allow CSUN officials to buy the franchise outright and run it their way, said Don Queen, director of the CSUN Foundation, which operates most campus food services.

“We wanted to own the franchise and we wanted to hire the people to run it,” Queen said.

The only other chain that would agree to let the university own and operate an outlet was Carl’s Jr., he said.

The CSUN Foundation’s board of trustees in November directed Queen and his staff to negotiate with any outlet other than Carl’s Jr.

The trustees’ action ended an 18-month controversy over a proposal by foundation officials to open a Carl’s Jr., along with other fast-food outlets, on the campus.

Opponents of Carl’s Jr., including many student leaders, argued that the chain’s founder, Carl N. Karcher, might use profits from the CSUN franchise to support anti-abortion and anti-homosexual causes.

Supporters said a Carl’s Jr. franchise would earn an annual profit of $150,000 for the foundation, which raises funds for educational programs, and that Karcher has a right to his political views.

Burger King profits are estimated at somewhat less, foundation officials said.

“We would rather have had the Carl’s Jr. because it ranked higher in the student poll,” said Queen, referring to a foundation survey in which Carl’s Jr. was the first choice of those responding.

Burger King will feature an express section that will allow large numbers of students to be served pre-made food, as well as traditional counter service, Queen said.

Baskin-Robbins ice cream and El Pollo Loco outlets opened this week in a new eating area near an expanded campus bookstore, also operated by the foundation.

In August, Subway and Taco Bell outlets were established on the roof of Sierra Hall, an instructional building, Queen said.