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McDonald’s to Test Plant-Based Burgers in Canada | McDonald’s to Test Plant-Based Burgers in Canada |
(32 minutes later) | |
McDonald’s will offer a plant-based burger made by Beyond Meat at some of its locations in Canada, the fast-food giant said on Thursday, marking the company’s first foray into the growing market for meat alternatives in North America. | |
For now, however, the rollout of the “P.L.T.” — plant, lettuce and tomato — is just a short-term trial. The new McDonald’s burger will go on sale at 28 restaurants in southwestern Ontario for 12 weeks, starting Monday. | |
“This test allows us to learn more about real-world implications of serving the P.L.T., including customer demand and impact on restaurant operations,” Ann Wahlgren, the company’s vice president for global menu strategy, said in a statement on Thursday. | “This test allows us to learn more about real-world implications of serving the P.L.T., including customer demand and impact on restaurant operations,” Ann Wahlgren, the company’s vice president for global menu strategy, said in a statement on Thursday. |
Amid a consumer craze for vegetarian products that simulate the taste and texture of meat, restaurant sales of plant-based alternatives have increased significantly this year, and Beyond Meat’s share price has soared since the company went public in May. | Amid a consumer craze for vegetarian products that simulate the taste and texture of meat, restaurant sales of plant-based alternatives have increased significantly this year, and Beyond Meat’s share price has soared since the company went public in May. |
McDonald’s has toyed with the possibility of rolling out a plant-based burger for months. In the spring, the company worked with Nestlé to test a meatless patty in Germany, the Big Vegan TS. And in an earnings call in May, the company’s chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, said McDonald’s was keeping tabs on the plant-based meatless alternative market “to make sure the consumer trend is sustaining.” | |
Even as consumer demand for meatless “meat” grows, there is reason for caution, some in the industry say. A broader rollout would create logistical challenges for McDonald’s employees and take up limited space on the grill, said Jonathan Maze, the executive editor of Restaurant Business Magazine, a trade publication. | Even as consumer demand for meatless “meat” grows, there is reason for caution, some in the industry say. A broader rollout would create logistical challenges for McDonald’s employees and take up limited space on the grill, said Jonathan Maze, the executive editor of Restaurant Business Magazine, a trade publication. |
“They want to know if the sales are going to be worth the trouble,” Mr. Maze said. | “They want to know if the sales are going to be worth the trouble,” Mr. Maze said. |
McDonald’s has served vegetarian products in the past, including a McVegan burger in Finland and Sweden. But this is the first time the fast-food company has offered one of the new generation of plant-based burgers designed to taste like meat in North America. | McDonald’s has served vegetarian products in the past, including a McVegan burger in Finland and Sweden. But this is the first time the fast-food company has offered one of the new generation of plant-based burgers designed to taste like meat in North America. |
Burger King already offers a plant-based burger made by Beyond’s main rival, Impossible Foods, at all its restaurants nationwide. And in recent weeks, a number of major fast-food brands have started to experiment with meatless meat. Dunkin’ started offering a breakfast sandwich made with plant-based sausage at its locations in Manhattan. Last month, KFC sold its entire test supply of a new plant-based fried “chicken” at an Atlanta branch in five hours. | |
But it remains unclear whether any of those trials will lead to more nationwide rollouts. Major chains are still deciding whether the demand for plant-based burgers will translate to other meatless alternatives, like sausage. Tim Hortons, the coffee and doughnut chain, recently pulled plant-based burgers and breakfast sandwiches from some of its locations in Canada. | |
“I still have a certain level of skepticism, frankly, about the long-term staying power of this,” Mr. Maze said. “We’re still just a few months in.” | “I still have a certain level of skepticism, frankly, about the long-term staying power of this,” Mr. Maze said. “We’re still just a few months in.” |
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