Sales of the McDonald’s McPlant burger failed to meet expectations and underwhelmed the brand’s franchisees in San Francisco, California, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
Fewer than 20 of the plant-based sandwiches sold per day per restaurant in the Fort Worth and San Francisco markets, with restaurants in more rural areas of Texas selling only three to five each day, during the trial period beginning February 14.
Comparatively, the McPlant burger sold well in a small-scale trial last fall, with 70 sandwiches sold per day in eight restaurant locations in Irving and Carrollton, Texas, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana and El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, California.
“We believe McDonald’s may continue to test and even offer McPlant in higher income, urban markets that appear more receptive to plant-based meat offerings, but a wide-scale launch seems a ways off at this point,” BTIG analysts wrote in a note.
To increase sales, McDonald’s should reduce the price of the McPlant burgers and plan to advertise the sustainability benefits.
Low sales create operational challenges
According to feedback from franchisees, "their assessment was that they don’t see enough evidence to support a national rollout in the near future and that lower sales volumes were slowing down service times, as the product was being cooked to order,” the note said.
In an October 2021 earnings call, CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that it could be a while before the McPlant burger is rolled out nationally.
“As always, we’ll do what McDonald’s does best: Listen to our customers,” he said. “When people are ready for the McPlant, we will be ready for them.”
Created in conjunction with Beyond Meat, the McPlant Burger is made from plant-based ingredients like peas, rice and potatoes. The plant-based patty is served on a sesame seed bun with tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and a slice of American cheese. The burger is cooked on the same grill as the chain’s beef burgers, which could be an issue for those following a vegan diet.
