---
title: "Carl’s Jr. Is the Latest Fast-Casual Company to Board the Plant-Protein Train"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/b8cf3991-5fa4-4fbb-9be6-145823846755
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/carls-jr-is-the-latest-fast-casual-company-to-board-the-plant-protein-train-2711238
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
published: 2019-10-09T17:12:01.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:30:56.896Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/a8b07e71261efbfa39a5a5cf9cb129b89776.jpg
---

# Carl’s Jr. Is the Latest Fast-Casual Company to Board the Plant-Protein Train

**TL;DR:** Carl's Jr. has launched its second menu item utilizing Beyond Meat's meat-alternative expertise, the Beyond BBQ Cheeseburger, due to customer and franchisee demand. The company follows other fast-casual brands like Burger King in offering plant-based options, with Beyond Meat locking in multiple deals in the restaurant industry.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2019-10-09. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/carls-jr-is-the-latest-fast-casual-company-to-board-the-plant-protein-train-2711238).*

## Story

**Now that** **Burger King conquered the impossible** **with its** **Impossible Whopper****, a flame-grilled patty made from plants, the time has come for other fast-casual brands to follow suit.**

**According to** **Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN)****, Carl’s Jr. recently launched its second menu item utilizing Beyond Meat’s meat-alternative expertise. The Beyond BBQ Cheeseburger is now available at most of Carl’s Jr.’s approximately 1,100 locations. The newly-launched cheeseburger follows Carl’s first foray into the plant-based world with the Beyond Famous Star Burger launched in December 2018.**

**The second burger was added due to customer and franchisee demand, said Patty Trevina, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Carl’s Jr., to NRN. “Sales of the Beyond Famous Star Burger have definitely continued to deliver above our expectations even after the introduction of Burger King’s Impossible Burger,” said Trevina.**

**The** **Beyond BBQ Cheeseburger** **is a meatless version of the chain’s Western Bacon Cheeseburger (without the bacon) and includes onion rings, American cheese and barbecue sauce.**

**However, for you** **flexitarian** **customers, have no qualms—Trevino said these Beyond Burgers are meant to be fairly interchangeable and if you want bacon on your plant-based burger, GO FOR IT!**

**Beyond Meat is now well beyond merely dipping its toes in the restaurant industry and has locked in a multitude of deals. For example,** **Oath Pizza****, a 50-unit chain based in Boston, has recently added meatballs made with Beyond Meat as a pizza topping, according to NRN.**

**Even McDonald’s is testing the plant-based waters with its new Beyond Meat** **‘P.L.T.’** **or plant, lettuce and tomato.**

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- McDonald's (company)
- fast casual (topic)
- Nation's Restaurant News (publication)
- Burger King (company)
- menu expansion (topic)
- Carl's Jr. (company)
- Beyond Meat (company)
- plant-based menu (topic)
- meat alternatives (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/carls-jr-is-the-latest-fast-casual-company-to-board-the-plant-protein-train-2711238). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/b8cf3991-5fa4-4fbb-9be6-145823846755).