By John Lee
STARKVILLE, Miss. (Take 30 News)---More and more fast-food restaurants are hopping on the bandwagon and taking part in the vegan substitute food craze. KFC has been recently testing a new plant-based chicken recipe called “Beyond Fried Chicken,” something they did back in August of 2019 at a select location in Atlanta, Georgia. According to reports, this vegan chicken had customers wrapped around the block, and it sold out within four to five hours. They’re now back in the mainstream once again by re-introducing this plant-based chicken, and are competing with other vegan fast food such as the "Impossible Whopper" from Burger King, and the "Beyond Breakfast Biscuit" and burger from Hardee’s. And that’s just to name a few.
“It’s a definite trend now, and I think it’s probably a positive trend that we’re gonna see stick around for a while,” Doctor Mike Breazeale, Mississippi State Associate Professor of Marketing said.
“Burger King has done really well with their Impossible Whopper, and then Hardee’s has recently introduced the “Beyond” meat to their burgers and some if their breakfast items. You want to do something as a fast-food restaurant that sets you apart in a way from your competitors that matters to your customers. And for Burger King to be the first to really roll this out in a big way, they were, they did that and they did it well,” Braezaele said.
Since vegan options are the more healthy alternatives to things like the "Whopper" and fried chicken, sales in these products are skyrocketing, and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to go but up with plant-based food.
“I do think it’s a unique opportunity that they can be very profitable and lucrative in because not many other fast food chains do offer vegan options and it does provide and promote the societal trend of vegan products and stuff like that as well,” MSU Marketing Intern Trevor Wasdin said. “A lot of marketing techniques especially like vegan friendly items are targeted toward younger audiences. So if the demand’s there…they have the opportunity.”
If these vegan food options continue to grow, plant-based foods could be the future of retail.