Starbucks to launch Beyond Meat products in China with new, plant-based menu
World's biggest coffee chain is embracing plant-based food and drink alternatives
Starbucks Corp said on Monday it would roll out a new plant-based lunch menu in China this week, launching Beyond Meat Inc’s products in a country where it is trying to recover from the novel coronavirus pandemic-led shutdown.
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The world’s biggest coffee chain has reopened most of its stores in China, where the outbreak appears to be slowing, and is banking on a slew of new plant-based food and beverage offerings to pull in more curious and environment-conscious diners.
Ethan Brown, center, CEO of Beyond Meat, attends the Opening Bell ceremony with guests to celebrate the company's IPO at Nasdaq in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
The new lunch menu will feature pastas and lasagna using Beyond Meat’s plant-based beef products, and also include dishes from Omnipork, a plant-based pork alternative brand.
Starbucks is also adding non-dairy lattes using oatmilk.
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The launch is an important step for Beyond Meat which is looking to expand into Asia, where meat alternative products still have not experienced the popularity boom seen in the United States and parts of Europe.
On China National Day of 2012, a Starbucks logo is seen outside a busy Starbucks store in a big shopping center. / iStock
As part of the launch in China, Beyond Meat said it would establish a Chinese-language website, as well as make use of popular social media channels Weibo and WeChat.