Food and facilities management giant Sodexo announced today it will launch a new product line featuring the Impossible Burger at over 1,500 locations in the U.S.
According to a press release, the new product line will feature plant-based versions of “a sausage muffin sandwich, sausage gravy and biscuits, steakhouse burger and creole burger” that all use Impossible’s famous “bleeding burger” in place of real meat.
The new items will be available on August 19. While Sodexo didn’t specify where they would be served, the company supplies food and food services to about 13,000 locations in North America, including corporations, colleges and universities, government facilities.
While it’s a big move, it’s also not really surprising, given the seemingly endless stream of announcements coming out of the plant-based meat sector lately. The Sodexo news comes on the same day Impossible is expanding its now-famous Impossible Whopper at Burger King locations nationwide, and just days after the company announced a forthcoming launch at retail stores, which is slated for September.
Meanwhile, Impossible’s chief rival, Beyond, is busy striking deals left and right with QSRs and already has a strong retail presence.
With sales of plant-based meat booming, both Impossible and Beyond are aiming their products not at vegans and vegetarians but at so-called flexitarians, who want the taste and texture of real beef without the ethical and environmental issues that surround animal-based products. A move into settings like corporate cafeterias and university dining halls would provide even more exposure to this audience.