Impossible Burger prank becomes Burger King feeding frenzy
Restaurant Brands International CEO Jose Cil on the launch of the Impossible Whopper at Burger King worldwide.
Believe it or not, what began as an April Fool’s joke turned out to be pretty serious for one of America’s biggest fast-food chains.
Burger King announced Aug. 8 that it would take the plant-based Impossible Whopper national effective for a limited time.
According to Restaurant Brands International CEO Jose Cil, the sandwich is 100 percent Whopper and zero percent beef, and has had “very good reaction so far from the consumers.”
“We have new guests that haven't been to Burger King in a while that are coming to try the sandwich --- they like it --- they're coming back for more,” he told FOX Business’ Connell McShane on Friday. “And we have existing guests that really want alternatives and different options, and the Impossible Whopper gives them that alternative.”
But before the feeding frenzy began, Burger King had a little surprise planned for its vegetarian customers. Burger King decided to invite Impossible fans to the opening of what they believed to be a restaurant that only serves the Impossible Burger. The outside of the eatery was disguised as an Impossible Foods restaurant, but once it was revealed that it was really Burger King, they cheered.
According to Barclays, the alternative meat industry can hit $140 billion over the next decade. However, Cil said it hard to project exactly what’s going to happen.
Even so, one thing's for sure, he said, it’s not going to stop them from developing products that consumers “crave.”