Carl's Jr. Adds Monster Energy Infusions to Beverage Menu

The Move

Carl's Jr. is rolling out Star Energy, a limited-time beverage lineup built around Monster Zero Ultra infused with fountain mixers — the first time Monster Energy's flagship zero-calorie product has been integrated into a burger QSR's beverage program. The line launches at participating Carl's Jr. locations and includes six 24-ounce variations across three flavor platforms: Berry Breeze (Monster Zero Ultra and Powerade), Strawberry Splash (Monster Zero Ultra, Sprite, and strawberry syrup), and Orange Blast (Monster Zero Ultra and Fanta Orange). Each flavor is offered in a standard build or a "Dirty" version topped with cold foam. Standalone 12-ounce Monster Energy Zero Ultra cans are also available for purchase.

Why Operators Should Pay Attention

The energy-drink co-brand playbook is no longer exclusive to convenience stores and specialty beverage chains. Dutch Bros and similar concepts have trained a younger QSR consumer to treat energy-infused drinks as a daypart-spanning purchase — not just a morning or afternoon caffeine hit. For burger-and-fries chains competing on beverage ticket, the opportunity is real: a 24-ounce specialty drink at QSR price points typically carries higher margin than a standard fountain pour, and the customization angle (Dirty vs. original) mirrors what operators have seen drive attachment rates in the iced coffee and boba categories.

CKE Restaurants Holdings is positioning this as a fan-base collision — Carl's Jr.'s core male 18-to-34 demographic maps closely to Monster's motorsport-and-gaming audience. Burge Diemer, chief marketing officer for Carl's Jr., framed it as pairing "two iconic brands with incredibly passionate fan bases" to create something differentiated on the menu. That logic holds for any QSR or fast-casual operator evaluating CPG energy partnerships: the brand equity transfer works when the audience overlap is genuine, not aspirational.

Activation and Launch Window

The launch is anchored by a Rose Bowl tailgate on November 28, where Carl's Jr. will operate a food truck sampling both Star Energy infusions and core menu items. Event-based sampling at high-attendance sports activations is a proven trial driver for limited-time beverages — it compresses the discovery-to-purchase cycle and generates organic social content without requiring heavy paid media spend at launch.

For operators watching the energy drink co-branding space, the structural details matter: the infusion model (mixing an energy drink into an existing fountain or mixer platform) is more operationally accessible than building a proprietary energy beverage, since it requires no new equipment and leverages existing cups and cold foam infrastructure. The "Dirty" cold foam upsell also gives crew members a natural suggestive-sell moment, which translates directly to higher average ticket on beverage orders. Chains evaluating similar partnerships should model the incremental attachment rate against the added complexity of maintaining energy drink inventory alongside traditional fountain syrup and CO2 supply chains. See related coverage on beverage menu strategy and QSR operator intelligence and brand partnership launch frameworks.

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.