Burger King Announces That Demand For Its New Plant-Based ‘Impossible Whopper’ Is Outstripping Supply
After announcing the debut of its new plant-based burger at over 7,000 locations around the United States, Burger King is facing a possible shortage as demand overtakes supply, reported The Daily Mail. The fake-meat product produced by Impossible Foods and named the “Impossible Whopper” is set to undergo a trial before being released officially at the end of 2019.
It was reported on Tuesday that Impossible Foods warned of an “entirely possible” shortage of the burger joint’s latest menu addition as demand is “outpacing the company’s manufacturing capabilities.” The company, dedicated to producing plant-based foods, has reached out to distributors and restaurants to warn them about the potential issue while explaining that the company is overloaded with business.
Impossible Foods specified in a statement on Tuesday that as they experience growth in “every sales category,” and not just from Burger King but from other businesses including theme parks and college campuses, they just don’t have the manpower and factory space to meet demand.
In order to prevent a shortage of its products, Impossible Foods announced that they will be hiring a third shift and adding a second production line at their Oakland, California, factory. They added that these actions should double current production.
Whoa. Impossible Whoppers are coming.
“A national rollout at Burger King’s 7,200 locations would more than double the total number of locations where Impossible’s burgers are available.” #shiftingdiets https://t.co/qSEkPRErPZ
— Richard Waite (@waiterich) April 1, 2019
Founded in 2011, Impossible Foods has since partnered with over 5,000 restaurants in the United States and Asia. In addition to joining the menu at fast food chains, such as White Castle, the burgers have also debuted at trendy restaurants, including Momofuku Nishi in New York.
Contrary to popular belief, instead of being marketed toward vegetarians and non-meat eaters, Impossible Foods writes on its website that they actually intend to offer more options for meat eaters.
“We searched the plant world for specific ingredients that would recreate those experiences but be better for both people and the planet.”
Their goals include recreating the textures and tastes of meat instead of creating an entirely new alternative.
“The new Impossible Burger is tastier, juicier and more nutritious — featuring 30% less sodium and 40% less saturated fat than our current recipe and just as much protein as 80/20 ground beef from cows. 100% more delicious and more versatile than ever.”
After a trial in St. Louis, whose success exceeded expectations, Burger King decided to move forward with the Impossible Whopper, which the company calls the Whopper’s “twin.”
A Burger King spokesperson chatted with The Daily Mail about the trial.
“The Impossible Whopper test in St Louis went exceedingly well. Burger King Restaurants are targeting nationwide availability of the Impossible Whopper by the end of 2019.”
Burger King also commented that the Impossible Whopper seems to be attracting new customers and not affecting sales of meat-based menu options.
