KFC Will Begin Testing Beyond Meat’s Fried Chicken In Atlanta
Popular restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) will be releasing their new plant-based fried chicken product for testing at a location in Atlanta this week, reported CNN. The “Beyond Fried Chicken” will debut at a restaurant in Smyrna, Georgia, near Atlanta’s SunTrust Park.
The plant-based chicken is a product developed by Beyond Meat, a plant-based company that attempts to mimic the taste, texture, and smell of meat with products made completely from plants. The company already produces burgers, ground beef and sausage alternatives, and other types of meat substitutes.
KFC is among a number of other fast-food chains that have begun investing in plant-based food alternatives in an attempt to meet consumer demands. Plant-based meat substitutes have grown in popularity across the country as people look for more environmentally friendly and healthier foods to eat.
Beyond Meat and Impossible are two brands that have created products that are now being sold in fast-food chains across the United States. While KFC’s test is limited to just one store, other restaurants that have tested plant-based products have been met with success. Burger King recently expanded their Impossible Whoppers to all locations around the country after conducting test runs at select locations.
It’s Kentucky Fried Chicken but it’s made with @BeyondMeat. It’s confusing, but it’s also delicious. Feast on these Kentucky Fried miracles tomorrow while they last at KFC in Atlanta, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/lC5oYM1cmk
— KFC (@kfc) August 26, 2019
Other fast-food restaurants that have found success with plant-based meat substitutes are Tim Horton’s in Canada, which sells Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches, and Dunkin’, which is currently still testing Beyond Meat sausage and egg sandwiches in New York. Dunkin’ hopes to expand the availability of their breakfast sandwiches to the rest of the country in the near future.
Customers interested in trying KFC’s Beyond Meat chicken can find them in two forms: nuggets or boneless wings, with each available in six or 12-piece combo meals. Prices for the products are $1 for each wing, or $6 for a half-dozen and $12 for a dozen, while nuggets will cost $6.49 for six and $8.49 for 12. Four nuggets a la carte can be purchased for $1.99.
The chicken-based restaurant announced the release of their new products, claiming that the taste is comparable to their original Kentucky fried chicken. Kevin Hochman, chief concept officer for KFC U.S., gave a statement about the Beyond Fried Chicken soon to be available in Atlanta.
“KFC Beyond Fried Chicken is so delicious, our customers will find it difficult to tell that it’s plant-based. I think we’ve all heard ‘it tastes like chicken’ — well our customers are going to be amazed and say, ‘it tastes like Kentucky Fried Chicken!'”
The new product has been met with mixed reviews on Twitter, with some users skeptical about the fake chicken containing unhealthy chemicals and others begging KFC to make the chicken available in their own state or country.
