1 EXHIBIT 10.45 SECOND AMENDMENT TO CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. CREDIT AGREEMENT DATED AS OF NOVEMBER 25, 1996 This SECOND AMENDMENT (this "Amendment") is among CKE RESTAURANTS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the "Borrower"), the Financial Institutions party to the Credit Agreement referred to below (the "Lenders"), and NATIONSBANK OF TEXAS, N.A., as agent (the "Agent") for the Lenders thereunder. PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS: 1. The Borrower, the Lenders and the Agent are parties to a Credit Agreement dated as of August 1, 1996, as amended by the First Amendment dated as of September 30, 1996 (as so amended, the "Credit Agreement"; capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement). 2. The Borrower has requested that the Agent and the Lenders amend the Credit Agreement to increase the amount of Designated Investments permitted thereunder. 3. The Agent and the Lenders are willing to grant the request of the Borrower on the terms and conditions set forth herein. NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows: SECTION 1. AMENDMENTS TO CREDIT AGREEMENT. The Credit Agreement is, effective concurrently with the satisfaction of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 2 hereof, hereby amended as follows: (a) Section 1.01 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by adding thereto the following defined term in the appropriate alphabetical order: "'SECOND AMENDMENT' means the Second Amendment to this Agreement, dated as of November 25, 1996." (b) Section 6.02(f)(iv) of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows: "(iv) other Designated Investments in an aggregate amount invested and not recovered not to exceed at any one time (A) $20,000,000 minus (B) the amount, if any, by which the aggregate consideration paid by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in connection with all Permitted Acquisitions after the date hereof (excluding from the calculation of such aggregate consideration (I) consideration paid in the form of common stock of the Borrower, (II) consideration paid with the proceeds of Permitted Subordinated Debt and consideration paid or refinanced with the proceeds of the Permitted Acquisition Financing, and (III) in the case of a Permitted Acquisition 2 by a Subsidiary of the Borrower which is not a wholly-owned Subsidiary of the Borrower, the consideration paid by such Subsidiary with the proceeds of equity contributions to such Subsidiary by Persons other than the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) exceeds the sum of (1) $5,000,000 plus (2) the Additional Investment Amount;". SECTION 2. CONDITIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS. This Amendment shall become effective when: (a) the Agent has executed this Amendment and has received counterparts of this Amendment executed by the Borrower and the Required Lenders; and (b) the Agent has received counterparts of the Consent appended hereto (the "Consent") executed by each of the Guarantors (such Guarantors, together with the Borrower, each a "Loan Party" and, collectively, the "Loan Parties"). SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Borrower represents and warrants as follows: (a) AUTHORITY. The Borrower and each other Loan Party has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Amendment or the Consent, as applicable, and to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Loan Documents (as amended or modified hereby) to which it is a party. The execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Amendment and by each other Loan Party of the Consent, and the performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document (as amended or modified hereby) to which it is a party have been duly approved by all necessary corporate action of such Loan Party and no other corporate proceedings on the part of such Loan Party are necessary to consummate such transactions. (b) ENFORCEABILITY. This Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower. The Consent has been duly executed and delivered by each Guarantor. This Amendment and each Loan Document (as amended or modified hereby) is the legal, valid and binding obligation of each Loan Party party hereto or thereto, enforceable against such Loan Party in accordance with its terms, and is in full force and effect. (c) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The representations and warranties contained in each Loan Document (other than any such representations or warranties that, by their terms, are specifically made as of a date other than the date hereof) are correct on and as of the date hereof as though made on and as of the date hereof. (d) NO DEFAULT. No event has occurred and is continuing that constitutes a Default. SECTION 4. REFERENCE TO AND EFFECT ON THE LOAN DOCUMENTS. (a) Upon and after the effectiveness of this Amendment, each reference in the Credit Agreement to "this Agreement", "hereunder", "hereof" or words of like import referring to the Credit Agreement, and each reference in the other Loan Documents to "the Credit Agreement", "thereunder", "thereof" or words of like import referring to the Credit Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as modified and amended hereby. 2 3 (b) Except as specifically amended above, the Credit Agreement and all other Loan Documents, are and shall continue to be in full force and effect and are hereby in all respects ratified and confirmed. (c) The execution, delivery and effectiveness of this Amendment shall not, except as expressly provided herein, operate as a waiver of any right, power or remedy of any Lender or the Agent under any of the Loan Documents, nor constitute a waiver of any provision of any of the Loan Documents. SECTION 5. EXECUTION IN COUNTERPARTS. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute but one and the same agreement. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Amendment or the Consent by telefacsimile shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Amendment or such Consent. SECTION 6. GOVERNING LAW. This Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California. [Signature Pages Follow] 3 4 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized, as of the date first above written. CKE RESTAURANTS, INC. By: /s/ Robert A. Wilson ------------------------------------- Title: Vice President NATIONSBANK OF TEXAS, N.A., as Agent By: /s/ Tom F. Sharfenberg ------------------------------------- Title: Senior Vice President LENDERS: NATIONSBANK OF TEXAS, N.A. By: /s/ Tom F. Sharfenberg ------------------------------------- Title: Senior Vice President BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL TRUST AND SAVINGS ASSOCIATION By: /s/ S. Devaney ------------------------------------- Title: Commercial Banking Manager MELLON BANK, N.A. By: /s/ Abdi Rais ------------------------------------- Title: Vice President 5 SUMITOMO BANK OF CALIFORNIA, N.A. By: /s/ Matt R. Van Steenhuyse ------------------------------------- Title: Vice President U. S. NATIONAL BANK OF OREGON By: /s/ Janet Jordan ------------------------------------- Title: Vice President WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. By: /s/ Sandra D. Martin ------------------------------------- Title: