CKE Restaurants Now Fueled by Monster Energy

CARPINTERIA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Young, hungry guys have yet another reason to head to Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® – both brands will sell Monster Energy® drinks.



CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:CKR), parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, has partnered with Monster Beverage Company, a division of Hansen Natural Corporation (NASDAQ:HANS), to offer the uber-popular Monster Energy drinks in more than 3,000 restaurants throughout the nation.



The agreement between CKE and Monster marks a quick-serve milestone – Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s become the first major quick-serve restaurant to offer Monster as a permanent menu item.



“Talk about a perfect pairing,” said CKE Restaurants’ CEO, Andrew Puzder. “Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s and Monster are made for each other. You can’t walk down the street without seeing a young guy holding a can of Monster. Now guests can start their morning with one of our delicious breakfasts and cap it off with a can of Monster to get a head start on the day, or they can have one after their burger to keep them going. They can even grab one on the go in the drive-thru.”



“This partnership provides increased availability of Monster Energy for our consumers at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants nationwide,” said Mark Hall, President of Monster Beverage Company. “Our unique approach to marketing through action sports sponsorships and music lends itself to a successful partnership with Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, both of which are respected, innovative brands that serve similar core consumers.”



Carl’s Jr. is immediately offering Monster Energy drinks in all company and franchise units. Hardee’s company-owned units will begin selling Monster Energy in mid-August, with franchised units joining later.



CKE Restaurants, Inc.



Headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif., CKE Restaurants, Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CKR.” As of the end of its fiscal 2010 first quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,133 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,205 Carl’s Jr. restaurants and 1,915 Hardee’s restaurants. For more information about CKE Restaurants and its brands, visit www.ckr.com, www.carlsjr.com or www.hardees.com.



Hansen Natural Corporation



Based in Corona, California, Hansen Natural Corporation markets and distributes Hansen’s® natural sodas and juices, Blue Sky® beverages, Monster Energy® energy drinks and shots and Java Monster energy coffee drinks and other leading beverage brands For more information visit www.hansens.com and www.monsterenergy.com.