The chief executive of CKE Restaurants—parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s—says the Obama administration is anti-business and the outlook isn’t getting any better.
“Basically, everything this administration has done has been anti-business,” Andy Puzder told Fox News’ Stuart Varney.
Puzder, who wrote a book called “Job Creation” and spoke to The Foundry in 2011, cited the push for a minimum wage hike as one of the greatest threats facing restaurants.
“I think you’ll see a lot of restaurants closing,” Puzder said. “I don’t think that restaurants can operate profitably if they’re paying a $15-an-hour minimum wage. I think you would see a devastating impact to the country.”
Seattle recently announced it would increase its minimum wage to $15 per hour. Obama supports a hike to $10.10 per hour, which Puzder also said would be harmful, citing a Congressional Budget Office analysis.
>>> Check Out: Obama’s Minimum Wage Hike Would Eliminate 500,000 Jobs
Puzder listed several government actions that have stymied growth in the restaurant industry: higher taxes, increasing health-care costs, rising fuel prices and an “unnavigable regulatory maze.”
“I don’t think the president is a bad guy,” he said. “But he does not have the experience or the background to understand what it takes to create jobs. And I think he interprets actions by businesses as negative for people when they’re really very positive. We’re just trying to create jobs and opportunities.”