In an effort to become more inclusive with its menu and cater to a wide, diverse audience, McDonald’s has made a cutting-edge move with its fast food items and introducing its first plant-based burger that will be tested in 28 select locations starting Sept. 30.
The iconic burger chain made the announcement via Newswire on Wednesday, dubbing their new plant-based burger created by Beyond Meat as the P.L.T., which stands for plant, lettuce and tomato. While some Americans might be eager to satiate their taste buds with the new menu item, it’s only available north of the border in Canada, predominantly in the border towns of Ontario with London and Sarnia standing out among many.
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Per the release, the P.L.T. is a “delicious, juicy, perfectly dressed plant-based burger on a warm, soft, sesame seed bun with the iconic McDonald’s taste customers have come to love” from the fast-food giant. Priced at $6.49 CAD plus tax, the burger features a plant-based patty with no artificial colors, artificial flavors, or artificial preservatives, and offers consumers an “open wide and sink your teeth into it” sandwich.
Meet the P.L.T., a delicious, juicy plant-based burger, that will be available for a limited time as a test at selected restaurants in Southwestern Ontario. pic.twitter.com/0oozPRXGcT
— McDonald’s Canada (@McDonaldsCanada) September 26, 2019
“McDonald’s has a proud legacy of fun, delicious and craveable food — and now, we’re extending that to a test of a juicy, plant-based burger,” Ann Wahlgren, McDonald’s Vice President of Global Menu Strategy said. “We’ve been working on our recipe and now we’re ready to hear feedback from our customers.”
McDonald’s selected the specific 28 locations in Ontario as the test market for the first plant-based burger based off it being a “good representation of guests in Canada and around the globe.” Notably, the move is also a step in the right direction for the company, who will not only be competing with A&W Canada and its extensive Beyond Meat menu items, but directly taking on its biggest worldwide competitor, Burger King with its Impossible Burger.
Many took to the comments section of social media to chime in with their thoughts on the burger, with a few divided, while others embraced it.
Unsurprisingly, McDonald’s Beyond Meat test doesn’t mean a 100% “vegan” burger – the PLT will be grilled on the same grill as other meat-based products. pic.twitter.com/LXWKMn834G
— Kate Taylor (@Kate_H_Taylor) September 26, 2019
Rules out vegans, vegetarians, kosher, halal etc. Why can’t these restaurants have a grill just for these foods , they would sell so much more!
— Dionne (@dionnepat2000) September 26, 2019
Patty is vegan, but the cheese is not. This is aimed at vegetarians and “flexitarians”, people trying to cut down on beef for health or environmental reasons.
— Caitlin 🌈 (@DaydreamerFly) September 26, 2019
I’ll be thrilled the first time a fast food place introduces vegan cheese, unfortunately I think we are a long way off
@McDonalds trying to keep up with @BurgerKing. BK is using the Impossibleburger, McD’s going w/ Beyond meat.
I’ve tried both types (not at either McD’s or BK) and the Impossibleburger was a much better product. Curious to see how this pans out and when @Wendys gets on board.
— This is not a test! (@TBoothWillie) September 26, 2019
This is great.
— Yorgos (@YorgosHelios) September 26, 2019
If McDonalds do not sabotage the success of lab-grown meat products by charging a premium for them or marketing them ineffectively, they could become the default patties in their menu items.
This is no joke. I’ve been eating Beyond Meat for a few years now. It really does taste like meat. #eatclean #healthyliving #fitover50
— Clean Healthy Living (@mcleveland01) September 26, 2019
All I ever order are fries & a Coke, now I can add a @beyondmeat burger! @McDonalds
— Gypsy Grandma (@video_rewind) September 26, 2019
Me every time I see a @BeyondMeat tweet 👏👏 PS THIS IS SO EXCITING pic.twitter.com/yMK24mi66v
— Jess✌ (@CheesePizzaJess) September 26, 2019
The burgers are only available for a limited time, and will be in stores Sept. 30.
Photo credit: McDonald’s Canada
