News

Carl's Jr., Your Pie intro meat alternative options

January 2, 2019

Call it bovine-less beef or non-beef meat, but whatever name plant-based meat alternatives go by, it's clear the restaurant world is calling them. This year started with both a pizza and major burger brand announcing introduction of plant-based meat substitutes for their menus, one as an LTO and one a permanent addition. 

On Jan. 2, burger chain, Carl's Jr. announced it has partnered with alternative meat producer, Beyond Meat to launch The Beyond Famous Star, including an all plant-based Beyond Burger patty in what the chain touts as the first so-called flexitarian take on the Famous Star. For those unfamiliar with that term, a flexitarian typically alternates both animal-based and vegetable-based center-of-the-plate dishes.

In 2018, competitor White Castle also launched an planted-based burger alternative in its Impossible Slider, and numerous fast casual brands have added similar items to their menus. In Carl's Jr.'s case the Beyond Burger patty on its new sandwich is cooked like other burgers there, on open-flames in the brand's char broiler. The brand said in a news release that it's hoping to tap into the flexitarian dollar. 

"We know people are looking for options," said Carl's Jr. parent company CKE Restaurants CEO Jason Market in the release. "In fact, roughly one-third of consumers identify as flexitarians. ... The new Beyond Famous Star is a true industry game-changer, and we're proud to add it to our roster of innovative offerings and build on the legacy of mouthwatering flavors."

Specifically, the Beyond Famous Star features the burger-alternative patty topped with melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced onions, dill pickles, special sauce and mayonnaise on a seeded bun. The company cited one unidentified supermarket chain's data from the summer of 2018 showing that "more than 90 percent of customers who purchased The Beyond Burger also purchased animal-based protein," which it says indicates there are a lot of flexitarians out there willing to go with beef one day and meatless the next. 

"I have long looked forward to the day when my kids can go to a major fast-food chain and order The Beyond Burger. I am grateful to say that day has arrived," Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown, said in the release. 

The new offering is available starting today at the restaurant for $6.29. Customers can also order the patty on any other of the brand's sandwiches for $2 extra. 

Meanwhile, on the pizza end of the restaurant spectrum, Georgia-based Your Pie has partnered with Impossible Foods for its new Craft Series pizza, dubbed simply the Impossible Slider Pie. As such, Your Pie is among the first pizza brands to feature Impossible Foods' Impossible Burger as an LTO, a news release said. 

The new pie is available now through Feb. 27. It includes the brand's slider burger meat — also featured at White Castle — along with an olive oil base, mozzarella, red onions and pickles all baked and finished with a drizzle of yellow mustard. 

The Impossible Burger is made with a soy-based molecule called heme, which helps it mimic beef's flavor and appearance.

"The Impossible Burger has been quickly gaining traction over the past year, and we were eager to feature it on our menu after learning about its mission," Your Pie Founder and President Drew French said in the release. "With New Year's resolutions in full force, the Impossible Slider Pie gives our guests another healthy option to choose from."