Will consumers flock to Beyond Fried Chicken?

The recent launch of Beyond Fried Chicken and similar foodservice offerings could inspire consumers to try alternative poultry for the first time, similar to the splashy release of the Impossible Whopper in 2019.

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KFC Canada Introduces Plant-Based Fried Chicken (CNW Group/KFC Canada)
KFC Canada Introduces Plant-Based Fried Chicken (CNW Group/KFC Canada)
KFC Canada

The recent launch of Beyond Fried Chicken and similar foodservice offerings could inspire consumers to try alternative poultry for the first time, similar to the splashy release of the Impossible Whopper in 2019.

“I think that this Beyond Meat/KFC partnership is the equivalent of the Impossible Whopper launch that really catapulted the beef replacement side of the industry. We've been waiting for kind of a major limited time offer across the whole country type of launch so that we can really see the response that we get from consumers and the interest level that it generates,” explained Bloomberg Intelligence senior consumer staples analyst Jennifer Bartashus, said.

Plant-based proteins appeal to flexitarians

The release of alternative proteins in foodservice, particular to quick service restaurants (QSRs), is meant to appeal to flexitarians. People who eat flexitarian diets still consume meat but are trying to cut back, typically citing health, planetary health, animal welfare or social responsibility reasons.

Currently, 14% of U.S. consumers eat a flexitarian diet. However, this eating approach has the potential for huge growth – 22% of respondents said they plan to move toward a flexitarian diet in the future, according to Datassential.

Intriguingly, Beyond Fried Chicken is not vegan or vegetarian, since the plant-based nuggets are cooked in the same fryer as their traditional meat products, Bartashus said.

“One of the big things about adding this type of product any menu is that it helps with the veto vote. If you have a kid in your family who is vegetarian or they decide that they want to eat in a different way, these types of menu items help preserve the entire visit to the to the to the location, but the preparation that KFC is choosing to use could sort of nullify any potential gain that they could have seen from people who are vegetarian or vegan from trying the product,” she added.

However, Burger King cooked the Impossible Whopper on the same grill as their other products and the brand still saw an uptick in sales and consumer interest.

“These products aren't intended to be the star of the menu. They're intended to be a supplement to the menu. Everything now points the fact that this could fill that role for KFC and be a good long-term partner for Beyond Meat,” said Bartashus.

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