The Deal
Carl's Jr. is rolling out Star Energy, a co-branded beverage lineup developed with Monster Energy that positions the burger chain as the first quick-service restaurant to feature Monster Zero Ultra as a fountain infusion platform. The line, available for a limited time at participating locations within Carl's Jr.'s more than 1,000 U.S. restaurants, marks a meaningful expansion of the brand's beverage strategy beyond legacy carbonated soft drinks.
The Products
Star Energy comprises three core flavor combinations — Berry Breeze (Monster Zero Ultra and Powerade), Strawberry Splash (Monster Zero Ultra, Sprite, and artificially flavored strawberry syrup), and Orange Blast (Monster Zero Ultra and Fanta Orange) — each offered in a standard 24-ounce format or a "Dirty" variation topped with cold foam. Guests may also purchase 12-ounce Monster Energy Zero Ultra cans at the counter. The cold-foam execution mirrors a customization mechanic that has gained traction across the specialty coffee and tea segments, now transplanted into the burger QSR daypart.
The energy drink category has shown persistent volume growth in convenience and grocery channels, and QSR operators have been slow to formalize that demand on their menus. By codifying Monster Zero Ultra into a named, branded infusion program rather than simply stocking cans, CKE Restaurants Holdings is treating the energy drink occasion as a revenue-driving daypart lever — an approach that aligns with broader operator interest in premium beverage attachment to drive average check. The move also gives Monster a rare on-premise retail vehicle at scale, extending the White Monster SKU's reach beyond traditional off-premise retail into foodservice.
Activation and Outlook
To support the launch, CKE and Monster Energy are staging a joint sampling activation at the Rose Bowl tailgate on November 28, distributing Star Energy infusions alongside Carl's Jr. food truck offerings ahead of a marquee West Coast rivalry game. The event-based rollout reflects a shared audience strategy: both brands index heavily toward young male consumers in the 18-to-34 cohort.
"Partnering with Monster Energy is a major moment for Carl's Jr.," said Burge Diemer, chief marketing officer for Carl's Jr. "By pairing two iconic brands with incredibly passionate fan bases, we're able to create something truly distinctive and delicious for our guests." Jordi Gayola, chief marketing officer of the Americas at Monster Energy, framed the partnership as a new-consumer acquisition play: "We look for partners who can take something people already love, give it a twist, and take it to new consumers. Carl's Jr. does exactly that."
The program represents a test of whether energy drink demand is durable enough inside a QSR to justify a permanent menu position. Operators across the fast-casual and QSR segment have been expanding beverage innovation — from craft lemonades to cold brew — as a margin-accretive offset to food cost pressure. For CKE, whose Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brands together operate more than 3,600 franchised or company-operated units domestically and are present in more than 35 international markets, a successful limited-time beverage program could become a template for further co-branded energy drink partnerships across its full system.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
