New York, NY; Las Vegas, NV—As Burger King plans to roll out Impossible Whoppers countrywide, Qdoba is adding Impossible items to their menu.
While Burger Kinginitially introduced the Impossible Whopperat the beginning of the month, the company held off on a country-wide launch until it was sure customers would buy it.According to CNN, Burger King plans to expand to more markets in the near future before making the sandwich available nationally by the end of the year.
Vegans, Baby reportsthat Qdoba’s new menu items are the Qdoba Impossible Bowl and the Qdoba Impossible Taco, both cheeseless to appeal to vegans. That said, the article notes, “If those dishes aren’t your thing, you can always create your own burrito, bowl, or salad using the seasoned Impossible meat.” Vox reportsthat the vegan offerings will hit all 730 Qdoba locations by the end of May.
While Impossible meat clearly appeals to vegans and vegetarians, it’s also got a market in people who just want to eat a little less meat.Plant-based is booming, thanks to environmental, animal welfare, and health concerns. CNN reports that Beyond Meat, which intends to go public in early May, projected that the plant-based meat market could reach $35 billion over time in the United States in an SEC filing.
The Impossible Whopper, it’s worth noting, isn’t vegan: It’s got cheese on it, just like a regular Whopper. CNN quoted Chris Finazzo, president of Burger King North America, as saying that the Impossible Whopper is for the person who “wants to eat a burger every day, but doesn’t necessarily want to eat beef every day.” And that seems to be the force behind Impossible meat's growth: People want meat, just maybe not from an animal.
