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'World's most offensive burger chain' opens its first of 300 planned stores in Australia

Known for its big burgers and raunchy ads, one of America's most popular and controversial fast food chains is now here in Australia.

Some customers queued for two days before burger chain Carl's Jr opened its first store in Australia in Bateau Bay on the NSW Central Coast.

As the doors opened at 10am on Tuesday, Newcastle man Matt Elsey was first in the long line that wound as far back as the drive-through of the neighbouring McDonald's restaurant.

The 41-year-old received a 'No.1 Carl’s Jr T-shirt' for his efforts in camping out at the store since Sunday night to be the first to taste the chain's Famous Star burger.

“It’s very, very good. I’m starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top. But it’s hitting the spot,” Mr Elsey said.

The American burger chain Carl’s Jr, known for their ads featuring scantily clad celebrities chowing down on their not-so-figure-enhancing burgers, plans to set up more than 300 stores around Australia over the next decade, including stores at Brisbane and Hobart airports as well as major metropolitan areas.

It’s in Australia with model-laden campaigns unashamedly targeted squarely at 18-34 year-old Australian men.

That’s not to say all tastes aren’t catered for, with the menu featuring a low-carb burger which uses lettuce leaves instead of a bun.

However, the Cancer Council NSW has raised concerns over excessive kilojoule counts within the meals as the store was launched in an area with high obesity levels.

The Western Bacon Thickburger contains a very heavy 1090 calories and 69 grams of fat - the equivalent for nearly half of the recommended daily calorie count of an average 35-year-old man.

The fast food chain's sexualised ad campaigns have also drawn fierce criticism, even leading to a boycott in the United States.

A Facebook campaign against the commercials called on consumers to #CuttheCarls and treat woman as '#morethanmeat' following commercials featuring the likes of Kim Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Paris Hilton.

But Carl's Jr. CEO Andrew Puzder isn't majorly fussed about the campaigns. In fact, he openly admits it's part of the plan.

"If you don't complain, I go to the head of marketing and say, 'What's wrong with our ads?'" he told Entrepreneur last year.

"I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it's very American.

"I used to hear, brands take on the personality of the CEO. And I rarely thought that was true, but I think this one, in this case, it kind of did take on my personality."

But that hasn't been enough to put off the Australian punters so far, with many more than expected showing up at the grand opening on Tuesday.

This was just days after many punters spent up to six hours in the searing Sydney sun for fellow US burger chain, In-N-Out.