Fast-food restaurants in the U.S. are still undecided on whether Americans want plant-based options on their menus. Panda Express recently announced the reintroduction of plant-based chicken, developed with Beyond Meat, at hundreds of its stores, while McDonald’s revealed that it has pulled the plug on the McPlant, a plant-based burger co-developed with Beyond Meat.
McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger stated that the McPlant was not successful in the U.S. market, as American consumers may not be as interested in plant-based proteins compared to their European counterparts. The McPlant has found success in Europe, where it has become a permanent menu item in several countries.
Despite McDonald’s decision to focus on chicken in the U.S., Panda Express remains optimistic about plant-based meat. The company introduced Beyond Orange Chicken nationally for a limited time after receiving overwhelming demand from customers. They even started a petition to bring the dish back, showing the potential for plant-based options in the fast-food industry.
While McDonald’s will continue to monitor plant-based trends, Panda Express is open to expanding availability of their plant-based options if customer demand persists. The differing approaches of these two popular fast-food chains reflect the ongoing debate over whether Americans truly want plant-based options at fast-food restaurants.
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