Mcdonald’s debuts meatless wraps

Better tasting, ‘more contemporary’ than veggie burgers: CEO

For the first time in more than a decade, McDonald’s Canada is going meatless with its entree offerings. But Tuesday’s nationwide unveiling won’t showcase the menu item vegetarians have been expecting.

Despite being one of the few remaining quick-service chains without a veggie burger — a failed experiment at the Golden Arches between 2002 and 2004 — the brand is instead going the wrap route, with two new meatless Signature McWraps aimed squarely at the 71 per cent of Canadians who seek veggie-only options “at least sometimes.”

“People always ask for the veggie burger. So this we’re going to surprise them with,” said John Betts, CEO of McDonald’s Canada. “It’s a much more contemporary product, and I think it tastes a lot better.”

The Mediterranean Veggie wrap will feature garlic hummus, feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, lettuce, crispy onions and a creamy Mediterranean sauce, while the Santa Fe Veggie wrap will be stuffed with fire-roasted corn, black beans, a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack, tomatoes, red onions, lettuce and tortilla chips, along with a chili lime glaze and Southwest sauce. Both will retail for $4.39 plus tax.

“Wraps play much more to the ethnic and diverse nature of Canada,” said Betts. “And they’re just more popular — particularly with the millennial group.”

As for why it’s taken the better part of a decade to bring meatless entrees back to Canada, it seems the brand’s transformation in recent years — which has included expanded kitchens, menu reinvigoration and restaurant remodels — reduced the opportunity for risk-taking.

“When you’re revamping your business, you’re going to focus on the things that will have the broadest reach,” said Betts, pointing to McCafé coffee as an example.