The prototype store, which will also be used at new locations, was designed by Los Angeles-based Rothenberg Sawasy Architects. The design was accorded a Gold Nugget Award of Merit at the builders' show.

The prototype store is in Downey, according to Renea Hutchings, executive vice president of development and franchise sales for CKE Restaurants, the Santa Barbara-based parent company of Carl's Jr., which is based in Anaheim. The Carl's Jr. chain consists of 987 restaurants, of which 440 are company-owned and the rest franchised, according to CKE's latest annual report.

Architects Mark Alan Rothenberg and Mitchell E. Sawasy note that the prototype relies on low energy consumption technology and recycled materials. It is designed in what they call a "hip-retro theme," with a drive-through area that the architects describe as more open and inviting than most restaurant layouts.