What Carl's Jr. México does

Carl's Jr. México operates the Mexican franchise of the U.S.-founded Carl's Jr. burger brand, running 299 restaurants daily across the country under the corporate oversight of AMECAR, A.C. and the strategic control of Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc. The business is positioned as a premium-tier quick-service restaurant, differentiated by 100% grilled beef patties (including a Black Angus Thickburger line), made-to-order preparation, table service, self-serve sauce bars, and unlimited drink refills — features uncommon in Mexican fast food. Core menu categories include signature grilled burgers (Famous Star® with Cheese, The Big Carl™, Western Bacon Thickburger®, The Original Thickburger®), hand-breaded chicken sandwiches, breakfast items, salads, natural-cut fries, and hand-scooped ice cream.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time, per-transaction food and beverage sales at the restaurant level, with combo pricing in the $109–$149 MXN range and promotional entry items as low as $1 MXN tied to Burger Day. Distribution runs through dine-in (with table service), takeaway, drive-thru, and delivery via Uber Eats, Rappi, and Didi, plus WhatsApp-based ordering and curb-side pickup at participating locations. The operating model is decentralized: at least nine regional franchise operators (Grupo AFAL, Corporativo Dath, DexFood, Dragon Foods, Grupo Kuale, Mex Burger, Star Laguna, Alimentos Mama Nieves, Corporativo Stargdl) own and manage restaurants across different Mexican states, with brand standards, marketing, and IP enforced centrally.

Customer acquisition is driven by a heavy sports-and-entertainment sponsorship engine: official partnerships with NFL Mexico, Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil clubs (Rayados, Tigres UANL, América, Chivas, Toluca, and women's teams), Liga Mexicana del Pacífico baseball teams, and entertainment franchise tie-ins (Marvel/Disney+ for Daredevil: Born Again, DC Comics, Warner Bros., Cinépolis, Coca-Cola). The brand runs a continuous limited-time offer cadence (Happy Star Burger, Firewood Burger, Big Boss Burger, El Diablo, Combos Americana/Nacional, NFL Combos, Rib's Burger) and maintains active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. The technology stack is standard QSR — POS, third-party delivery integrations, WhatsApp ordering, Google Analytics — with no proprietary AI/ML or platform technology disclosed.

Name

Carl's Jr. México

Legal name

AMECAR, A.C.

Website

https://carlsjr.com.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Carl's Jr. México operates 299 fast-food restaurants across Mexico under the U.S. Carl's Jr. brand, offering premium grilled burgers, chicken sandwiches, and breakfast items via dine-in (with table service), drive-thru, and delivery through Uber Eats, Rappi, and Didi.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Burger Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)

Keywords

• Quick service restaurants
• Premium burger chain
• Fast food franchise
• Grilled beef burgers
• Restaurant table service

Headquarters

HQ city

Monterrey

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food and Beverage Sales: Carl's Jr. México generates revenue primarily through the sale of food and beverages at its 299 restaurant locations across Mexico. Customers can dine in (table service), order takeaway, or use the drive-thru. Revenue is one-time, per-transaction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Carl's Jr. México operates a chain of 299 quick-service restaurants across Mexico selling grilled beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, breakfast items, natural-cut french fries, salads, Coca-Cola beverages, milkshakes, and ice cream desserts. Customers access the brand through dine-in (with table service unique to Mexican fast food), takeaway, drive-thru, curb-side pickup, WhatsApp ordering, and delivery via Uber Eats, Rappi, and Didi. The menu emphasizes 100% grilled beef patties, made-to-order preparation, self-serve sauce bars with unlimited refills, and unlimited drink refills in contemporary 180–230 seat family-friendly restaurants.

Product overview

Carl's Jr. México operates as a fast-food restaurant chain offering a diverse menu of grilled beef burgers, chicken products, breakfast items, sides, salads, beverages, and desserts. Core offerings include the signature Famous Star® with Cheese, premium Thickburger® line featuring Black Angus beef, hand-breaded chicken sandwiches, and various breakfast items. The restaurant chain operates 299 locations in Mexico with dine-in, carry-out, and drive-through service. Products include limited-time offerings (Happy Star Burger, Firewood Burger, Big Boss Burger), promotional bundles (Carl's Packs), and standard menu items across categories including A la Parrilla (grilled), De Pollo (chicken), Desayunos (breakfast), A la Orden (sides), Ensaladas (salads), Bebidas (beverages), and Postres (desserts). The company also offers delivery services through third-party partners and promotional combos with sports team sponsorships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Famous Star® with Cheese

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Coca-Cola Company (Coca-Cola Export Corporation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoca-Cola is a sponsor for the 'Comparte una COCA-COLA ZERO con Carl's Jr.' promotional campaign, which ran from August to September 2025. The promotion encouraged customers to purchase 2 Carls Jr. combos containing Coca-Cola products and upload Instagram reels to win prizes. The organizer was Grupo Pauta Creativa.
• Marvel / Disney+minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCarl's Jr. partnered with Marvel Television for the 'Daredevil Born Again' Season 2 premiere on Disney+ (March 2026), launching the Big Boss Burger promotion. The brand also previously partnered with DC Comics for the Superman Burger and Warner Bros. for Godzilla & Kong promotions.
• CinépolisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the 'Comboleto Cinépolis' promotion offering a coupon for 2 movie tickets plus a 'Combo Cuates' (2 jumbo sodas and jumbo popcorn) for $260 pesos at participating Cinépolis theaters across Mexico.
• NFL (National Football League)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCarl's Jr. runs recurring 'Atínale al Marcador' (predict-the-score) promotions tied to NFL games and Super Bowl events. Prizes include Dicass gift cards and weekly coupons. The brand sponsors NFL content and promotional campaigns throughout the season.
• Uber Eats, Rappi, DidicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery aggregators enabling home delivery. Carl's Jr. also offers WhatsApp-based ordering at participating locations with curb-side pickup, and delivery through these platforms is highlighted in promotional materials.
• Liga MX / Liga MX Femenil (Multiple Clubs)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCarl's Jr. is an official sponsor of multiple Mexican football clubs: Rayados de Monterrey (A25, C26), Club Tigres UANL (A25, C26), Club América (A25, C26), Chivas (C26), Toluca F.C. (A25, C26), and Liga MX Femenil clubs including Tigres Femenil, Chivas Femenil, América Femenil, Xolos Femenil. The brand hosts meet-and-greet events and autograph sessions.
• Liga Mexicana del Pacífico (LMP) — Baseball TeamscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of multiple Mexican Pacific League baseball teams: Toros de Tijuana, Union Laguna, Saraperos de Saltillo, Charros de Jalisco (LMP 2025-26 and 2026 seasons), Águilas de Mexicali, Tomateros de Culiacán, Venados de Mazatlán, Yaquis de Obregón (LMP 25-26 season).
• Fundación Tigres / Fundación Dr. SonrisasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCarl's Jr. co-sponsored the 'Día del Niño Incomparable' event organized by Fundación Tigres and Fundación Dr. Sonrisas, which brought together approximately 250 children facing health challenges for a day of activities with Tigres Femenil players.
• Dicass SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDicass is the gift card provider for Carl's Jr.'s NFL-related promotions. Gift cards with values of $3,000 MXN are awarded as prizes in Atínale al Marcador and other sports promotions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Little Caesars: A global limited-service pizza QSR with carryout and delivery. It is a direct operating-model comparator for store economics, speed and off-premise ordering.
• Taco Bell: A Mexican-inspired limited-service QSR with strong value positioning and delivery and takeaway channels. It is relevant as a direct format and meal-occasion competitor, although its menu is not burger-led.
• Subway: A global limited-service sandwich chain with a large franchise footprint and delivery and takeaway offerings. It competes for quick, value-oriented meals and shares a multi-unit restaurant model.
• Burger King: A global quick-service burger chain with dine-in, takeaway, drive-thru and delivery channels. It directly competes for the same burger occasions and value-conscious Mexican consumers.
• Dairy Queen: A QSR and snack chain with burgers, chicken and treats. It overlaps with Carl's Jr. on family occasions, value bundles and quick-service traffic.
• Domino's: A delivery-led QSR chain with a high-volume digital and aggregator model. It is comparable in convenience, franchise scaling and digital order penetration, though its core category is pizza.
• KFC: A global limited-service chicken QSR with drive-thru and delivery. It competes for the same convenience-led meal occasions while offering a narrower product focus.
• McDonald's: A global mass-market QSR operator with restaurants, drive-thru, delivery and digital ordering. It is a direct benchmark for Carl's Jr. México's scale, convenience and franchise operating model.
• Wendy's: A QSR burger chain with made-to-order food, drive-thru and delivery offerings. It serves the same general consumers and competes for premium-burger visits.

Broad incumbents

• Alsea: A Mexico-based multi-brand restaurant operator spanning QSR, coffee and casual dining. It is a broad incumbent comparable in local market coverage, franchise operations and consumer traffic, rather than a direct burger rival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CarlsJrMx
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9YYeYOjDy-zcVltaJafbAA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarlsJrMex
• Instagraminstagram.com/carlsjrmex
• TikToktiktok.com/@carlsjrmx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carls-jr-mexico

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carl's Jr. México