Burger King doubles down with Impossible Nuggets after Impossible Whopper success

• Burger King will be the first major fast-food chain to sell Impossible Nuggets.
• The chain has seen major success with the plant-based Impossible Whopper.
• Other fast-food chains are also testing plant-based meat substitutes.

Burger King will begin testing plant-based Impossible Nuggets in certain markets on October 11, the fast-food chain announced on Wednesday.

The nuggets will come in eight-piece orders in Des Moines, Boston, and Miami markets. They will have the "savory taste of a family favorite, with a golden-brown crispy breading on the outside and a tender, juicy bite on the inside," Burger King said in a statement.

"This isn't the first time we've teamed up with Impossible to make waves in the industry. In 2019, we became the first
quick-service restaurant to serve the award-winning, plant-based Impossible patty and offer the iconic
Impossible Whopper," Burger King North America Chief Marketing Officer Ellie Doty said in a statement.

Burger King launched the Impossible Whopper in 2019, eventually debuting in thousands of locations after a four-month test. Tests in St. Louis went "exceedingly well," a Burger King representative told Insider at the time.

Parent company Restaurant Brands International CEO Joe Cil said that the Impossible Whopper was not a short-term offering, but something that could be on menus for a long time. It proved so successful that same-store sales jumped 6% in the quarter following the launch, attracting both new and returning customers, Cil said. Orders including plant-based burgers spent about $3 more overall, Cowen found.

Burger King is looking to build on the success of the Impossible Whopper with the new nuggets, as the first quick-service restaurant to test Impossible Food's nuggets.

Vegetarian and vegan options continue to be areas of growth for the fast-food industry. Earlier in 2021, Taco Bell tested a plant-based "Craveatarian" protein made of a blend of peas and chickpeas. Taco Bell has long been popular with customers who don't eat meat for its abundance of veggie options, and it also returned fan-favorite potatoes to menus in the spring.

Chipotle announced a test of vegan chorizo made from pea protein in August, and McDonald's continues to test plant-based burgers around the world, though they're unavailable in the US.

Impossible chicken nuggets, which debuted in September, are also available in grocery stores including Walmart, Kroger, and ShopRite.

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