On Monday, KFC announced it is testing Beyond Fried Chicken in partnership with Beyond Meat. The plant-based fried “chicken” will only be available at a single KFC location in Atlanta, Georgia, starting on Tuesday.
Depending on customer reaction, KFC will decide how to move forward with the product for an eventual nationwide release. The alternative meat strategy has been a success for other restaurant chains such as Burger King and its Impossible Burger, with KFC hoping the alternate option will bring in vegan customers and those who are cutting down on their meat intake.
In May, Kevin Hochman, the president of KFC’s US business, told Business Insider he was meeting with plant-based “meat” makers due to the rise of interest in meat alternatives.
“If you would have asked me six months ago, I would have said no, to be completely honest with you,” Hochman said. “Because we’re about fried chicken.”
However, if the buzz around companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat translates into long-term customer demand, KFC will need to test a plant-based meat substitute in the US, Hochman said. The chain has already been testing vegetarian fried “chicken” in the UK.
Beyond Meat has recently announced deals with chains including Subway, Dunkin’, and Del Taco.
“It’s not that interesting to me that really rich people eat super healthy food. It’s not moving the needle,” Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown told Business Insider of the company’s recent work with restaurant chains.