Move over, Impossible Whopper.
Burger King, which rolled out the plant-based burger nationwide in August 2019, is preparing to test a breakfast sandwich dubbed the Impossible Croissan’wich at participating restaurants in five markets later this month.
The Impossible Croissan’wich includes a seasoned, plant-based sausage patty from Silicon Valley’s Impossible Foods, eggs and melted American cheese on a croissant.
The test markets are: Savannah, Georgia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Montgomery, Alabama; Lansing, Michigan; and Springfield, Illinois.
Fernando Mercado, Burger King’s chief marketing officer, said having plant-based options has attracted current guests and also is bringing in younger generations.
“Having the Impossible Croissan’wich ... is really important for us. Breakfast is a very important (part of) fast food,” Mercado said at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. “And we think that we can differentiate ourselves by having a plant-based option. If you’re looking for plant-based options, you’re not just looking for lunch or dinner.”
According to a press release, Burger King is the first restaurant to test the Impossible Sausage made from plants on a breakfast sandwich.
While the plant-based patty is vegan-friendly, this sandwich isn’t for vegans because it includes egg and cheese.
“It’s a limited-time offer, but we obviously have been very successful with Burger King in the past,” Dennis Woodside, president of Impossible Foods, told USA TODAY. “If this goes well, we would expect that we’d expand there, as well.”
Dunkin’ partnered with Beyond Meat for its Beyond Breakfast Sausage sandwich, which debuted in November. Dunkin’ said it was the first restaurant in the nation to offer Beyond Breakfast Sausage.
The craze for plant-based products is being driven by a desire for more environmentally and animal-friendly foods, industry watchers say.
Among American diners, 38% are trying to add more plant-based foods to their diets, according to the global market research firm Mintel. Roughly 90% of those eating plant-based products are not vegetarian or vegan, says a report from the NPD Group.
In 2019, fast-food and fast-casual restaurants including Burger King, Del Taco, Red Robin, Blaze Pizza and Qdoba Mexican Eats joined the meat-free revolution by adding vegan-friendly menu items developed by companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
Contributing: Michelle Maltais, Charisse Jones and Brett Molina, USA TODAY
Read more at usatoday.com
