The biggest rage in the fast food industry as of late has been to appease the vegan and vegetarian crowds. Burger King’s recent slew of ads has been to promote their meatless Whopper they say tastes exactly like the real thing. The vote is still out on that premise, but the trend is growing. Even KFC got in on the move and started offering plant-based fried “chicken.”
McDonalds has been quiet on this new trend. Seeing how other fast food giants are jumping in, they decided to start testing the market for themselves. The company has now partnered with Beyond Meat to see if anyone has an appetite for what they call the P.L.T. or plant-lettuce-and tomato burger. The patty, of course, made from plants.
The test will only take place in a few select Canadian cities for the time being. There has been rumors in the market for awhile now that McDonalds was considering releasing a plant-based Quarter Pounder, Big Mac, or other items of the sort, like nuggets. Burger King’s meatless Whopper has been a commercial success so far, so it would appear as if McDonalds is behind and trying to catch up.
This isn’t Beyond Meat’s first run with a fast food giant. They’ve also made deals with Del Taco, Carl’s Jr, TGI Fridays, and Dunkin’. There are different types of plant-based burgers on the market. Impossible, the brand currently partnering with Burger King uses soy protein in their meatless patties. Another company, Incredible Burger, uses soy protein and is part of the Nestle family. McDonalds has an Incredible Burger deal in Germany, the burger called the “Big Vegan.”
Rolling Out Beyond Meat Everywhere?
Despite having already made a few big deals, Beyond Meat still has a bit of growth they can accomplish. Landing a broader contract with McDonalds would be like winning the lottery. Upon news of this limited new deal, Beyond Meat stock jumped 500%. If sales do well, then Beyond Meat could find its way into every McDonalds across the country.
Tyson and Kellogg are looking to create their own products and might sign a deal with Beyond Meat as well. Considering you can find these products in plenty of stores, it appears as if this company will have a lot of staying power. More people are deciding to eat less meat as it’s better for the environment.
