Burger King will start selling its meatless Whopper across the United States on August 8, the biggest rollout for Impossible's plant-based product.
The
burger chain has been selling the Impossible Whopper, featuring a meatless patty made by Impossible Foods, in a few markets in the United States since April. It first
tested the product in St. Louis before
announcing in May that it would offer the Impossible Whopper nationally this year.
Interest in plant-based protein has surged as many people try to reduce their meat intake for health or environmental reasons. US retail sales of plant-based foods
have grown 11% in the past year, according to a July report from trade group Plant Based Foods Association and the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that supports plant-based businesses.
The Impossible Whopper has been performing well, Chris Finazzo, Burger King's president for the Americas, told CNN Business.
"It's driven new guests into the restaurant," he said, noting that most of those customers either haven't been to a Burger King in a long time or haven't visited one at all. "We're really excited to be able to attract that customer."
For Burger King, the product is mainly a way to reach flexitarian carnivores rather than strict vegans or vegetarians. The Impossible Whopper is supposed to taste just like Burger King's regular Whopper.
A "taste test" promotion encourages customers to try both the original and Impossible Whopper, so they can compare the two products themselves. The deal will be available from August 8 through September 1 through DoorDash and the Burger King app.
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