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Without a doubt, the biggest trend in the <a href="https://1851franchise.com/comparing-franchise-brands-in-the-burger-industry-2710339#stories">burger segment of the franchise industry</a> this year was the rise of plant-based meat alternatives. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/bridgetshirvell/2019/09/09/more-than-50-of-millennials-trying-to-incorporate-plant-based-foods-into-their-diet/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion-2711513#709032b25ebf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">As millennials demand healthier and more eco-friendly food options</a>, brands like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat have begun revolutionizing the quick-service restaurant industry by partnering with some of the segment’s biggest franchise brands. As opposed to the vegetarian options of the past, this new generation of plant-based proteins smells, tastes and even bleeds like real meat.&nbsp;It started in January when <a href="https://1851franchise.com/carls-jr-adds-plant-based-burger-to-its-menu-at-1100-locations-2708772">Carl’s Jr. cooked up a partnership with Beyond Meat</a> to roll out <a href="https://www.carlsjr.com/beyondburger?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion-2711513" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Beyond Famous Star</a> burger at 1,100 locations nationwide. After the success of Carl’s Jr., tons of brands in the burger segment began following suit, including sister brand <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/menu-innovations/hardees-jumps-plant-based-train?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion-2711513" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hardee’s</a> and <a href="https://www.qsrmagazine.com/exclusives/white-castle-marches-new-territory?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion-2711513" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">White Castle.</a>The biggest moment came in June when <a href="https://1851franchise.com/burger-king-is-taking-the-impossible-whopper-national-2709807">Burger King launched its Impossible Whopper nationwide</a> in an effort to appeal to both long-time vegetarians and a younger, more eco-conscious audience. The offering was an explosive success, with Burger King experiencing a 17% increase in visits from the previous month.&nbsp;In fact, the rollout may have been too successful. In May, the demand for Burger King’s Impossible Whopper <a href="https://1851franchise.com/impossible-burgers-struggle-to-keep-up-with-demand-2709836#franbuzz">proved to be too much for the Impossible Foods company to keep up with</a>. While the shortage hit independent operators the hardest, QSR chains like <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-13/impossible-burgers-go-missing-from-white-castle-red-robin?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion-2711513" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">White Castle and Red Robin</a> even reported shortages of the plant-based patties. Although meat alternatives require only a fraction of the resources of real meat, the production process is comparatively expensive and time-consuming.Most recently, <a href="https://1851franchise.com/mcdonalds-takes-a-bite-out-of-the-plant-based-competition-with-the-plt-2711136#franbuzz">McDonald’s has taken notice of the plant-based trend</a> and recently announced its partnership with Beyond Meat and its plan to launch a P.L.T. (a.k.a. Plant, Lettuce and Tomato) item in Canada. As the biggest player in the burger segment, the partnership is bound to make an impression on the franchising industry as a whole.&nbsp;Since Beyond Meat made its public market debut earlier this year, the brand’s <a href="https://1851franchise.com/beyond-meat-s-revenue-increases-by-a-whopping-486-in-2019-2710617">restaurant and foodservice revenue have increased by 486%,</a> growing to $58.3 million in the first half of 2019. Beyond's restaurant and foodservice division are now responsible for roughly half of the plant-based meat company's revenue, with retail driving $53.7 million. <a href="https://1851franchise.com/impossible-foods-partners-with-major-meat-processor-to-produce-fake-meat-2710622#most-recent">Impossible Foods recently turned to OSI</a>, a popular meat producer, to help fabricate faux meat.Still, many franchisors are asking if <a href="https://1851franchise.com/capitalspring/are-plant-based-alternatives-here-to-stay-2710740#stories">the trend is here to stay</a>. Either way, shortages may not be a problem for anyone if 2019’s plant-based buzz is destined to fade away. Recent research that suggests most burger-loving Americans are <a href="https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/despite-plant-based-boom-beef-burgers-still-reign-supreme/559031/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion-2711513" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">overwhelmingly still ordering beef</a> at QSRs. Although plant-based meat alternatives have been on the lips of everyone in the burger segment, it's unclear whether consumers are just momentarily curious about plant-based foods or whether this newsworthy trend is in it for the long haul.

2019’s Most Newsworthy Item in the Burger Segment: The Plant-Based Explosion

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This year, the burger segment saw a huge rise in the popularity of plant-based meat alternatives, with Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger options being added to the menus of QSR’s biggest players.

2019s-most-newsworthy-item-in-the-burger-segment-the-plant-based-explosion

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2019’s Most Newsworthy Item in the Burger Segment: The Plant-Based Explosion

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