Reuters –– Yum Brands said on Monday it will be testing plant-based nuggets and boneless wings at an Atlanta KFC restaurant, the latest fast-food chain trying new options to attract vegan diners.
The quick-service fried chicken restaurant will nationally roll out the vegan menu items, produced by U.S. processor Beyond Meat, based on the customer feedback from the Atlanta test, Yum said.
Yum is the latest big-chain restaurant jumping on the vegan bandwagon, a growing market as more fast-food chains tweak their menus to add new options for vegans and “flexitarians.”
Plant-based meat alternatives have seen booming interest from consumers and restaurants, supporting startups such as Beyond Meat and its competitor Impossible Foods, and even sparking interest from veteran meat companies such as Tyson Foods and Perdue Foods.
Beyond Meat has already partnered with other chains including Subway, Del Taco, Carl’s Jr., Dunkin’, Tim Hortons and A+W; Impossible Foods is working with chains such as Burger King, White Castle, Qdoba and Red Robin.
— Reporting for Reuters by Nivedita Balu in Bangalore.
