(Trends Wide Business) — A year after announcing plans to introduce the McPlant hamburger, McDonald’s is ready to try it in the United States.
McPlant, a plant-based burger created in collaboration with Beyond Meat, will be available in eight restaurants for a limited time beginning Nov. 3, McDonald’s said Thursday. The restaurants are in cities like El Segundo and Manhattan Beach in California; Cedar Falls, Iowa; Irving and Carrollton, Texas; and Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana, McDonald’s said.
In recent years, fast food companies have been experimenting with plant-based options to appeal to flexitarian consumers, who want to eat less meat or add vegetables to their diet for health or environmental reasons.
McDonald’s will be testing the McPlant Burger for a limited time beginning in November.
McDonald’s is late for the veggie burger party in America.
Burger King added the Impossible Whopper in 2019, made with a plant-based burger from Beyond’s rival, Impossible Foods. They recently announced a test of Impossible nuggets. And Wendy’s began testing a new “Spicy Black Bean Burger” in three US cities in June.
McDonald’s first said it would launch a McPlant line, which could eventually include plant-based sandwiches and breakfasts, during an investor update in November 2020. Over the past year, it tested the McPlant burger in some European markets, such as Sweden. , Denmark, the United Kingdom and others.
Although McPlant may appeal to vegetarians or flexitarians, strict vegans may be less interested in the McDonald’s product.
The McPlant Burger is served with mayo and cheese, along with ketchup, tomato, lettuce, pickles and onion on a sesame seed bun, and is prepared on the same grill as the meat and egg products. People who try the product can expect a burger made with ingredients like peas, potatoes and rice, McDonald’s said.
The test is designed so that McDonald’s can check the impact of the offer on its kitchens and restaurants, the company added.
