Burger King's menu is officially plant-based. Or at least it was for a day as a test, in Austria. The fast-food giant tried a one-time promotion called "Meat Optional," which required customers to specifically request the meat-based Whopper patties instead of the plant-based variety when ordering. The campaign aimed to reverse the accepted practice of treating meat patties as standard and instead make the plant-based burger a permanent part of the menu.
Burger King has captured customer reactions in a short film that accompanies the campaign. The fast food giant has ushered the industry into a new plant-based era, with plant-based options often at the forefront of their operations. Now Austrian customers will be confronted with the question: "Do you want regular or meat-based?"
“With this issue we want to stimulate public debate and show that our plant-based alternatives have a confusing taste,” Chief Marketing Officer of TQSR Group (BK's Austrian master franchisee) Jan-Christoph Küster said in a statement.
"Meat is one option, but it is not the only one. We leave it to our guests to decide what is normal for them. It should not be demanded that everyone has the same taste."
The video shows that most customers responded positively to the question.Burger King's latest campaign ties in closely with the claim that one in three of burgers sold in Belgium is vegetarian. The company is testing customer responses to gauge the success of a permanent plant-based menu, especially as more European locations move further into the plant-based sector. Burger King UK has even claimed that its menu will be 50 percent plant-based by 2030.
"At Burger King we make enjoying meat-free food a permanent featureon our menu, because meat is no longer self-evident for everyone,” says Küster. “With the stimulating question 'Normal or meat?' we want to show that we take our customers and their needs seriously. Because from now on we will also serve almost our entire range [as plant-based].”
Burger King is going plant-based worldwide
Burger King is leading the fast food industry into new plant-based frontiers. Since the launch of the Impossible Whopper in 2019, the international fast food company has expanded its plant-based development globally, especially in Europe. Ahead of the Austrian campaign, Burger King is introducing plant-based options at locations in France, Germany, Belgium and moreThe vegetarian butcher.
The beloved burger chain opened here in Junetwo plant-based concepts in Switzerland, with fully plant-based menus in Basel and Geneva. For about a week, the two plant-based pop-ups served 14 vegan menu items, including Long Vegetal, Veggie Whopper, Veggie Nuggets and more Cajun-style offerings.
Among major fast food brands, Burger King is the only company to open fully vegan locations or standardize plant-based meat. The chain also opened a 100 percent vegetarian branch in Spain calledFiery Kingand stayed a monthvegan pop-up in Londonthis March.
Vegan fast food in the USA
Burger King's commitment to plant-based development is helping the entire industry transition to more sustainable options. The entire vegan fast food market is expected to achieve this$40 billion by 2028. Several fast food brands have launched plant-based trials or permanent menu items, including McDonald'sMcPlanteller Panda Express’ Beyond The Original Orange Chicken.
As major fast food chains pave the way for plant-based alternatives, the US has seen a rise in regional vegan chains. California-based fast food brandsPlant power fast foodInNoomopartners with franchise agencies to make their national debut. In the north East,Valerieswill open the tri-state area's first all-vegan drive-thru. In no time, customers will have access to affordable, tasty vegan options – and they could eventually become the standard.
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The 6 best fast food chains with plant-based options on the menu
Fast food restaurants have finally gotten the message that their customer base isn't just coming for a burger, fried chicken or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based diets and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more vegetables on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast food chains with plant-based options on the menu.
