McDonald’s launches Beyond Meat burger test in Ontario
P.L.T. sandwich coming to 28 restaurants in southwestern Ontario
More than a year after A&W became the first Canadian fastfood chain to sell the now ubiquitous Beyond Meat burgers, McDonald’s Canada will roll out a limited pilot of the plantbased patty to test its customer’s appetite for vegetarian eats.
“We’ve been taking our time to get it right,” Michaela Charette, the company’s head of consumer insights, said in an interview.
“We know we’re not first.” McDonald’s will start serving a P.L.T. sandwich at 28 restaurants in southwestern Ontario, including locations in London and Sarnia, on Monday. The acronym stands for plant, lettuce and tomato — a take on the BLT or bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. It will cost $6.49.
The menu item’s main component is a Beyond Meat patty that will taste different from the ones customers can eat at other fast-food chains in Canada. Beyond Meat usually works with retailers to create a unique taste for their target demographic, as it did with McDonald’s for this 12-week pilot.
The trial is intended to be a global test, meaning McDonald’s could roll out the P.L.T. in all of its markets, which span more than 100 countries.
Charette and chef Jeff Anderson, both staff that McDonald’s Canada, were tight-lipped on what specific metrics the company needs to see to roll out the P.L.T. globally.
McDonald’s will collect consumer feedback on taste, track demand for the new menu item and watch whether its preparation impacts restaurant operations.
After the 12-week pilot, it’s unclear if company will expand the number of restaurants serving P.L.T.s immediately.
“It’s too early to know,” said Anderson of the next steps, adding the company needs to gather some results from the pilot before making a decision.