CKE Restaurants, Inc. announced today that it will be added to the Standard & Poor’s Small Cap 600 index after the close of trading on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006.

“Over the past several years, CKE Restaurants, Inc. has undertaken a number of successful initiatives to improve our restaurant fundamentals, as well as our financial condition,” said Andrew F. Puzder, president and chief executive officer.

“Standard & Poor’s uses specific criteria to ensure the companies within its indices are financially viable and investable, and we believe this announcement is further recognition of our progress.”

Introduced in 1994, the S&P SmallCap 600 covers approximately three to four percent of the domestic equities market. According to Standard & Poor’s, the SmallCap 600 is designed to be an efficient portfolio of companies that meet specific inclusion criteria. As a result, the S&P SmallCap 600 is gaining wide acceptance as the benchmark of choice for both active and passive management.

As of the second fiscal quarter ended Aug. 14, 2006, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,131 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 43 states and in 13 countries, including 1,072 Carl’s Jr.® restaurants, 1,945 Hardee’s® restaurants and 98 La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill® restaurants.