Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘Impossible Burger’ coming to local chain
Vegan sandwich to be added to Hurricane Grill & Wings menu
The plant-based, vegan Impossible Burger is becoming impossible to avoid.
Since its July 2016 introduction in New York City, the meatless product many aficionados say best replicates the flavor, appearance and texture of a real hamburger has been introduced in 5,000 restaurants in the United States.
On Monday, that number will increase by 56 when the Impossible Burger is added to menus of South Florida-based Hurricane Grill & Wings, according to an announcement this week by the parent companies of the two brands.
Hurricane Grill & Wings, with nine locations in the tricounty region, will join nearly 100 other South Florida restaurants offering the burger, including chains Duffy’s Sports Grill, Dave & Buster’s and dozens of standalone restaurants.
Outside of Florida, White Castle introduced its version, called the Impossible Slider, in 140 of its restaurants in April, then in September expanded its availability to all 377 company-owned locations. Restaurant news website Eater.com in April called the White Castle version “one of the country’s best fast-food burgers, period.”
Beginning in 2019, the Impossible Burger will be available at supermarkets, according to an announcement Thursday by Impossible Foods, the Silicon Valley company that developed the meat substitute.
Hurricane Grill’s parent, FAT Brands, which finalized its acquisition of the company in early July, introduced the Impossible Burger at its Fatburger chain on the West Coast, said Gregg Nettleton, president and chief operating officer of FAT Brands’ Casual Dining Division.
“It did well and resonated well” at Fatburger, Nettleton said. Last spring, FAT Brands expanded it to its Buffalo Cafe chain in the Atlanta area, and “it also did well there.”
Those brands’ success with the product convinced FAT Brands to introduce it at Hurricane Grill & Wings, which was founded in Fort Pierce in 1995 and now has 39 locations statewide, Nettleton said.
“It looks like a burger. It presents like a burger. It tastes like a burger, but it’s plant-based,” he said. “It’s everything about a burger without eating beef for those inclined not to choose a beef product.”
Cost of the Impossible Burger will average $11.49 — about $1 more than a regular burger, Nettleton said. That’s because the wholesale cost for the meat substitute is higher than a normal hamburger. But the higher price has not deterred fans from buying it, he said.
Made from wheat and potato proteins and coconut oil, the product derives its unique red meat-like consistency and flavor from heme, an iron-containing compound found in blood. In fact, one of its taglines is: “It bleeds.”
Impossible Foods’ founders developed a method to extract heme DNA from soy plants and grow it by inserting it into yeast and fermenting it — “very similar to the way Belgian beer is made,” the company’s website says. “But instead of producing alcohol, our yeast multiply and produce a lot of heme.”
The company’s website declares it’s on a mission to save meat and the Earth. “Using animals to make meat is a prehistoric and destructive technology. Animal agriculture occupies almost half the land on Earth, consumes a quarter of our freshwater and destroys our ecosystems. So we’re doing something about it.”
Still, its status as a GMO (genetically modified organism) has spawned controversy among GMO critics. Impossible Foods is transparent about the product’s ingredients and manufacturing process and in a Q&A section of its website bluntly answers “Yes” to the question, “Do you produce heme by genetic modification?”
A launch date has not yet been announced for Impossible Burger’s availability in grocery stores next year. But the company says it’s strongly anticipated.
“By far the No. 1 message from fans on social media is, ‘When will I be able to buy and cook the Impossible Burger at home?’” said Dr. Patrick Brown, Impossible Foods’ CEO and founder, in the news release this week. “We can’t wait until home chefs experience the magic and delight of the first plantbased meat that actually cooks and tastes like meat from animals — without any compromise.”