Years after McDonald’s tested meatless burger options in limited markets, the company’s U.S. chief executive has finally admitted that the chain has discontinued the plant-based burger due to poor sales.
Last week, McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger The Wall Street JournalAsked about the company’s future plans for plant-based products at McDonald’s Global Food Forum, Erlinger noted that McDonald’s has already tested a meat-free option, McPlant, with disastrous results.
“I don’t think U.S. consumers are going to come to McDonald’s or ask for McDonald’s McPlant or any other plant-based protein.”
From late 2021 through July 2022, Dallas and San Francisco locations will offer Beyond Meat-developed, primarily Peas, rice, potatoesErlinger suggested that these cities were chosen because they’re “very different markets,” which could give the company a better idea of demand for plant-based menu options.
according to Aol.comInitially, sales at the McPlant exceeded expectations, leading McDonald’s to expand the option to 600 stores. Soon after, sales plummeted.
By June 2022, the Dallas-Fort Worth store was averaging about 13 McPlant sales per day, compared with executives’ hopes of 30 to 40. The San Francisco store was similarly well short of the 125 to 130 McPlant sales expected per week.
In short, Mack Plant “was not successful in either market,” Erlinger told the WSJ.
“I don’t think U.S. consumers are going to come to McDonald’s and ask for McPlant or any other plant-based protein from McDonald’s.”
While American consumers may have cooled on the meatless burger, Europeans are not. In fact, the McPlant has sold so well in the UK and the Netherlands that some locations have made it a permanent menu item.
meanwhile Erlinger He said McDonald’s would “continue to monitor” the trend for plant-based options in the U.S., but suggested that U.S. restaurants are no longer offering meatless options, and said salads are unlikely to return to McDonald’s.
“If people really want McDonald’s salads, we’d be happy to bring them back.” Erlinger says:“But our experience has proven that that’s not what consumers want.”
Perhaps not wanting to spend too much time talking about failed menu items, Erlinger quickly changed the subject and talked about other items that have been consistently well-received by consumers.
“The big trend in protein intake is really about chicken,” he argued.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski made similar comments about chicken’s future earlier this year.[We’re] “We’re also excited to build on our success in the chicken category by continuing to invest in beloved, iconic products like McNuggets and McChicken, while further expanding new favorites like McCrispy and McSpicy,” he said in February.
“These four stocks are the foundation of our growing chicken business and we believe have the potential to add an additional percentage point of chicken share by 2026, including through wraps and the expansion of the McCrispy platform into Tenders.”
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