KFC Is Going ‘Beyond Meat’ To Serve Vegan Chicken
KFC has announced it’s going “beyond” fried chicken with the introduction of a vegan imitation chicken to its menu in one Atlanta-area restaurant on Tuesday.
The fast-food giant will trial the plant-based fried “chicken” in its Smyrna, Georgia, restaurant in partnership with Beyond Meat, a brand that produces “meat that’s made from plants.”
Kevin Hochman, the president of KFC’s U.S. business, said in a news release that customers would find it difficult to tell it was plant-based. “I think we’ve all heard ‘it tastes like chicken’ ― well our customers are going to be amazed and say, ‘it tastes like Kentucky Fried Chicken!’”
It’s Kentucky Fried Chicken but it’s made with @BeyondMeat. It’s confusing, but it’s also delicious. Feast on these Kentucky Fried miracles tomorrow while they last at KFC in Atlanta, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/lC5oYM1cmk
— KFC (@kfc) August 26, 2019
While some consumers were disappointed the option would be available only in Atlanta, CNN reported several other fast-food chains had tested plant-based meat alternatives in a similar manner before rolling them out nationwide.
Burger King offered plant-based Impossible Whoppers at one store in St. Louis before making them available across the country, and Dunkin’ trialed Beyond Meat sausage and egg sandwiches in New York before announcing it planned to add the item to all U.S. stores soon.
ICYMI: Tomorrow, Beyond Fried Chicken™ will make its debut in a limited one store test in Atlanta, GA, crowning @kfc as the 1st U.S. national QSR to introduce plant-based chicken!
Learn more here ➡️ https://t.co/bzAPzt5HJQ pic.twitter.com/ES35VOdSfA— Beyond Meat (@BeyondMeat) August 26, 2019
In a press release, KFC said the Beyond Fried Chicken would be available in the form of nuggets or boneless wings on Tuesday only, and that customer feedback from the test would be considered before a broader test or potential national rollout.
Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.