The two chains take different approaches to offering a meatless entrée
Carl’s Jr. has introduced a new vegetarian entrée to its menu: The Fried Zucchini Star. It combines the chain’s fried zucchini side dish with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced onion, dill pickles, mayonnaise, and “special sauce” on a seeded bun.
The quick-service burger chain, a subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, based in Franklin, Tenn., chose National Zucchini Day, Aug. 8, to launch the item, which is available at a special price of $4 for Carl’s Jr.’s My Rewards loyalty program members through Aug. 11. After that it will be priced at around $5.79 and will be available indefinitely. Though listed on the app and the chain’s website, it will only be available as an off-menu “secret item” when ordered in restaurants, a company spokesperson said.
The chain said the Fried Zucchini Star was invented and perfected by crew members. Its build is similar to the signature Famous Star, with the beef patty replaced by fried zucchini.
Carl’s Jr. has been a pioneer among quick-service chains in offering meatless options. It partnered with plant-based protein company Beyond Meat to introduce the Beyond Famous Star at the beginning of 2019.
That item has since been removed from the menu, having been phased out of most restaurants in April.
CKE, a privately held company associated with private equity firm Roark Capital, didn’t say why it was removed. However, overall sales in the United States of plant-based meat and seafood analogs declined by 13% in dollar terms and 26% in unit terms between 2021 and 2023, according to a report by The Good Food Institute, which advocates for substitutes for conventional meat.
Restaurant operators have said anecdotally that, while trial of plant-based meat analogs tends to be high, retrial is less so.
Nonetheless, Burger King, another pioneer in plant-based protein, which introduced the Impossible Whopper in 2019, developed in collaboration with Impossible Foods, several months after Carl’s Jr. introduced the Beyond Famous Star, is currently promoting the plant-based sandwich.
The Miami-based subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International, and the second largest burger chain in the country, has declared Aug. 8 Impossible Day in honor of the Impossible Whopper’s 5th anniversary. To celebrate, it’s giving away the sandwich with any purchase of $3 or more. Royal Perks loyalty program members also can purchase an Impossible Whopper for 550 Crowns instead of the usual 1,000 Crowns through Aug. 11.
On top of that, BK has added an Impossible Whopper Words puzzle to its app. People who guess the word correctly will win 50 Crowns.
A Burger King spokesperson explained the company’s motivation in an email.
“Burger King is committed to letting guests ‘Have It Your Way,’ and that includes offering a plant-based option for those who want to enjoy our delicious flame-grilled flavor without the traditional beef patty. We know the Impossible Whopper is a favorite amongst many BK guests, so we’re excited to be celebrating five years of partnership with Impossible.”
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
