Want fries with your McPlant?
Testing meatless burger
Where’s the beef? McDonald’s has joined the bandwagon of fastfood chains offering meatless, plant-based burgers, announcing on Thursday that it is partnering with the makers of the Beyond Burger on a new cow-free sandwich.
Dubbed the PLT — for “plant, lettuce and tomato” — the burger features a high-tech. all-vegetable patty that tastes and looks like the real deal.
The new menu item will be tested at 28 locations in Ontario, Canada.
When the announcement was published on the McDonald’s Web site, Beyond Meat’s stock spiked 15.2 percent.
McDonald’s joins chains like Burger King and White Castle — which both offer Beyond’s rival Impossible Burger — in serving up a meatless patty.
“McDonald’s has a proud legacy of fun, delicious and craveable food — and now, we’re extending that to a test of a juicy, plant-based burger,” said Ann Wahlgren, McDonald’s VP of global menu strategy.
“We’ve been working on our recipe, and now we’re ready to hear feedback from our customers.”
It isn’t just burger joints that have been using the plant-based option, which has a more meat-like taste and texture than old-style vegetarian meat substitutes.
Places such as Subway, KFC and Dunkin’ Brands, which launched Beyond Meat products recently, are also part of the trend.
And the popularity of plant proteins has paved the way for more emerging brands, including Before the Butcher and Trader Joe’s new storebased variety.
“During this test, we’re excited to hear what customers love about the PLT to . . . better understand what’s best for customers,” said Wahlgren. “This test allows us to learn more about real-world implications of serving the PLT, including customer demand and impact on restaurant operations.”