Why fast food chains like McDonald's and Starbucks are going all in on energy drinks

Why fast food chains like McDonald's and Starbucks are going all in on energy drinks

Brian Sozzi · Executive Editor

Wed, August 12, 2026 at 5:04 PM GMT+3 2 min read

• MCD -0.71%
• SBUX -0.14%

Fast food chains in search of a sales pick-me-up are back to rolling out energy drinks.

The research

New research from Citi restaurant analyst Jon Tower on Wednesday easily explains the energy drink push by fast food giants. Here are a few key findings from his survey of 2,400 US consumers:

• 60% of energy beverage consumption at restaurants/coffee shops is incremental.

• 49% of respondents suggested an energy drink purchased at a restaurant would replace one purchased elsewhere.

• 74% of total respondents are very or somewhat interested in purchasing energy drinks from a restaurant or coffeeshop, including 44% who are very interested.

• 60% of energy drink purchases at restaurants/coffee shops are made before lunch.

• The majority of respondents said they order food alongside their energy beverage (packaged food at 53%, prepared food at 47%).

Quick industry snapshot

The energy drink launch rush is well underway.

McDonald's (MCD) just announced the nationwide Aug. 17 rollout of its Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer.

Starbucks (SBUX) introduced its new Energy Refreshers lineup in April, integrating iced green tea, sparkling fruit juice, and plant-based caffeine sources to offer a functional alternative to espresso-based drinks.

Regional powerhouses like Dave's Hot Chicken and 7 Brew have aggressively scaled their own branded energy bases and Red Bull-infused slushers.

Bottom line

There are two ways to think through the fast food push into energy drinks if you are an investor.

One, the drinks are a nice-to-have margin and sales boost for fast food companies. On their own, they won't make or break a quarter for a company. But the sales and profit gains could begin to build as the drinks gain repeat buyers who also purchase other items on the menu.

The purest way to play this is through Dutch Bros (BROS), a growing beverage chain that promotes energy drinks, which recently began offering grab-and-go food, as CEO Christine Barone said on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid.

Two, there is a yawning risk to pure-play energy drink sellers such as Celsius Holdings (CELH) and Coca-Cola-backed (KO) Monster (MNST). As consumers buy very large energy drinks from fast food stops, they are less likely to reach for a can from a refrigerator section at a convenience store. One would perhaps proceed with more caution on these names.

Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor, host of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast, and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.

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