Do Americans want plant-based options at fast-food restaurants? Two recent moves show restaurant chains are still undecided.
On Wednesday, said it is reintroducing plant-based chicken – which it developed with El Segundo, California-based – at hundreds of U.S. stores. Beyond Orange Chicken will be available for a limited time, Panda Express said.
But last week, ²Ñ³¦¶Ù´Ç²Ô²¹±ô»å’s revealed it has pulled the plug in the U.S. on the McPlant, the plant-based it co-developed with Beyond Meat. During an appearance at the Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum, ²Ñ³¦¶Ù´Ç²Ô²¹±ô»å’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger said the of the McPlant at stores in San Francisco and Dallas was “not successful in either market.â€
“I don’t think the U.S. consumer is… looking for the McPlant or other plant-based proteins from ²Ñ³¦¶Ù´Ç²Ô²¹±ô»å’s,†Erlinger said.
The McPlant has seen , where consumers are much more receptive to ordering plant-based products at a . The McPlant is now a permanent menu item in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and other markets, and ²Ñ³¦¶Ù´Ç²Ô²¹±ô»å’s introduced plant-based McNuggets – also developed with Beyond Meat – in Europe last year.
Erlinger said ²Ñ³¦¶Ù´Ç²Ô²¹±ô»å’s will keep an eye on plant-based trends, but prefers to focus on chicken in the U.S. right now.
Still, Panda Express is bullish about plant-based meat. It first tested Beyond Orange Chicken in 2021 and rolled it out nationally for a limited time in 2022.
“We’ve never received so many social media comments begging for an entree’s return,†a Panda Express spokesperson said. The company said fans even started a petition asking the company to bring the dish back.
“If our fans continue to love and demand it, there’s potential to expand availability,†the Rosemead, California-based company said.
