More than a year after A&W became the first Canadian fast-food chain to sell the Beyond Meat burger, McDonaldB次元官网网址檚 Canada is set to roll out a limited pilot of the plant-based patty to test its customerB次元官网网址檚 appetite for vegetarian eats.
B次元官网网址淲e know weB次元官网网址檙e not first,B次元官网网址� Michaela Charette, the companyB次元官网网址檚 head of consumer insights, said in an interview. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been taking our time to get it right,B次元官网网址�
McDonaldB次元官网网址檚 will start serving a PLT sandwich B次元官网网址� plant, lettuce and tomato B次元官网网址� at 28 restaurants in southwestern Ontario, including locations in London and Sarnia, on Monday.
The itemB次元官网网址檚 main component is a Beyond Meat patty that will taste different than those on offer at other fast-food chains in Canada. Beyond Meat usually works with retailers to create a unique taste for their target demographic.
The trial is intended to be a global test, meaning McDonaldB次元官网网址檚 could roll out the PLT in all of its markets, which span more than 100 countries.
Charette and chef Jeff Anderson, both of McDonaldB次元官网网址檚 Canada, were tight-lipped on what specific metrics the company needs to see to roll out the PLT globally.
McDonaldB次元官网网址檚 will collect consumer feedback on taste, track demand for the new menu item and watch to see if its preparation impacts restaurant operations.
It will also be looking to for data on whether vegans and vegetarians buy the burger, versus people who also consume meat, Charette said.
This isnB次元官网网址檛 the first time McDonaldB次元官网网址檚 Canada has put veggie burgers on the menu.
It last introduced one B次元官网网址� the McVeggie Deluxe B次元官网网址� in June 2002. The restaurant pulled the soy-based patty sandwich from the menu B次元官网网址渄ue to softer salesB次元官网网址� in 2005, a spokeswoman wrote in an email.
The company believes more than a decade later, its customers are ready to embrace a vegetarian option.
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B次元官网网址淥ur guests and consumers, their taste palates, their preferences change,B次元官网网址� Anderson said.
The pilot will help the company understand if their customers do, in fact, want a Beyond Meat option.
Demand does appear to be shifting in Canada toward more plant-based protein, due to a combination of financial, environmental, humanitarian and health reasons. CanadaB次元官网网址檚 new food guide, released earlier this year, encourages people to eat more plant-based proteins, such as legumes, nuts and tofu, over meat.
In response, eateries and manufacturers increasingly offer vegetarian options.
A&W first introduced Beyond Meat patties in early 2018, setting off a ripple effect in the fast-food industry. Since then, Subway Restaurants announced a Beyond Meatball marinara sub would come to select Canadian locations this September for a limited time. Vancouver-based White Spot Restaurants started serving Beyond Meat burgers, while Quesada Burritos & Tacos offered up a Beyond Meat burrito B次元官网网址� just to name a few.
On the manufacturing side, Maple Leaf Foods acquired two alternative protein makers, Lightlife Foods and Field Roast Grain Meat Co., in recent history. Maple Leaf CEO Michael McCain defended LightlifeB次元官网网址檚 vegetarian burger during a recent quarterly earnings call with analysts, saying it will be more widely distributed than Beyond MeatB次元官网网址檚 products.
The move to plant-based protein hasnB次元官网网址檛 worked out for all, however.
Restaurant Brands International added Beyond Meat burgers and breakfast sandwiches across Canada some three months ago, before deciding to remove the burgers nationally and breakfast sandwiches everywhere but Ontario and B.C. earlier this month. The decision was apparently made based on sales volumes.
Aleksandra Sagan, The Canadian Press
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