McDonald’s & Beyond Meat Are Bringing Plant-Based Burgers to Canada
McDonald's looks to be following in the footsteps of Burger King — who recently partnered with Impossible Foods for the Impossible Whopper — by offering Beyond Meat's plant-based burger patties at select locations in Canada. According to Bloomberg, the fast food chain will sell the new product at 28 locations in Ontario during a three-month trial period.
The sandwich, made exclusively for McDonald's, is being utilized to “learn more about real-world implications of serving the P.L.T.,” says Ann Wahlgren, McDonald’s vice president of global menu strategy. P.L.T. stands for plant, lettuce, and tomato. “During this test, we’re excited to hear what customers love about the P.L.T. to help our global markets better understand what’s best for their customers,” she went on to add.
If McDonald's receives positive feedback from the test run in Canada, the company could be encouraged to bring the plant-based burger to its largest market, the United States.
“McDonald’s is an enormous company, and the U.S. is such a big market, that they’re taking their time in deciding which is best for them,” said MainFirst Bank analyst Alain Oberhuber. “We have yet to see which brands will do better in retail, and who knows, there may be another big player entering the game. McDonald’s is taking a wait-and-see approach.”
Customers in Canada will be able to customize their plant-based burger, opting to do without cheese, mayonnaise, and other ingredients. The patty will, however, be cooked on the same grill as other burgers and meat-based products.
Visit Bloomberg for more on McDonald's Beyond Meat trial in Canada.