Add another name to the ever-growing list of QSRs offering plant-based meat. Today, KFC announced it will start testing Beyond Meat Chicken nuggets and wings on its menu for a limited time (h/t Restaurant Business Online).
The Louisville, KY chain is the first chicken-focused QSR to join the plant-based meat movement. Back in May, KFC said it was considering a plant-based meat product but was waiting to understand the long-term benefits of adding one to its menu.
It seems, though, that plant-based meat is shifting from the “wait and see” phase and becoming more of a must-have item for most QSRs. Major chains like Del Taco, White Castle, and Dunkin’ have all added an item, and Burger King upped the ante not long ago when it launched the Impossible Whopper at stores nationwide.
According to Restaurant Business Online, KFC’s new pilot is partly to determine if the craze for plant-based fast food will apply to chicken as much as it has to burgers and sausage.
The company will pilot Beyond wings and nuggets at just a single location in Atlanta, GA — which just happens to be Chick-fil-A’s hometown. The latter is said to be developing its own plant-based chicken offering, though details are few and far between as to when that might actually launch on menus.
Chick-fil-A, along with other fried chicken QSRs, will need to move fast too keep pace. KFC has already sung the praises of the new chicken product, saying it’s difficult to tell the difference between it and the real thing. If the Atlanta pilot is successful, KFC will consider a nationwide rollout of the products, presumably ushering in a new craze for plant-based fried chicken.
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