Burger King's Impossible Whopper to hit menus across the US
It looks like meat and even tastes like it, but it’s not made from cows. Impossible Foods CEO Patrick Brown explains the process behind creating the company’s plant-based protein, and how hamburger restaurants around the country are taking bite out of it.
The "king" of burgers is making room for vegans and vegetarians on its menu.
Fast food giant Burger King announced plans Monday to roll out its plant-based Impossible Whopper — which includes a meatless patty made up of soy protein, coconut oil and heme derived from plants — across the country by the end of 2019. And no, this time it isn't a prank.
The Impossible Whopper has been tested at 59 Burger King joints around the St. Louis area over the past month.
So far, the results are promising. So promising, in fact, a Burger King representative said this week that the fast-food chain plans to "extend testing into additional markets in the very near future," per Business Insider. The rep said sales from the Impossible Whopper are currently "complementing traditional Whopper purchases" in the Midwest.
It's also attracting new customers.
"We aren't seeing guests swap the original Whopper for the Impossible Whopper ... it's attracting new guests," José Cil, CEO of Burger King parent company Restaurant Brands International, reportedly said during a call with investors Monday.
Burger King is trying to accommodate a higher demand for plant-based products or meat substitutes. Plus, it's being sold as a healthier menu option.
"Meat lovers don't love the fact that their meat comes from dead animals. They love it because of the sensory pleasures and the familiarity," Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown previously told The Associated Press. "If we can provide the things they value and make it from plants, not only will meat lovers be willing to buy it, but they will prefer to buy it."
The burger chain claims meat-eaters will hardly be able to tell the difference between the Impossible Whopper and the traditional Whopper.
To prove its point, Burger King pulled an epic April Fool's Day prank on customers, having them unknowingly take a bite out of the meatless burger — which contains 0 grams of cholesterol and 17 grams of protein — to see if they could identify it.
They filmed the hilarious results and posted customers' surprised reactions on YouTube, garnering more than 250,000 views.
Burger King did not immediately return Fox Business' request for further comment.