Article
As Canadian A&Ws sell out of meatless burgers, US locations begin beef upgrades
They're sold out of the Beyond Burger in Canada just one month after its introduction at A&W, while the chain in the U.S. watches with great interest and begins upgrades on its own beef burgers.
August 20, 2018 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group
Although A&W locations in the U.S. are not offering meat-free burgers, Canadian units added the Beyond Meat Burger to the menu in July. The burgers — made from so-called pulse crops, such as peas and mung beans rich in protein — have been so popular that they are out of stock as of late last week, according to a press release.
The burgers should be back in restaurants over "the next few weeks," A&W Canada said. It has also invited customers to sign up for a Beyond Meat Mailing List to get immediate word of when the meat-alternative concoctions return.
"We're working hard to offer guests the mouthwatering burger again very soon, and to ensure that when it's back, it's back for good," said A&W Canada President and CEO Susan Senecal, said in the release. "The Beyond Meat Burger will be a permanent menu item and we are delighted that Canadians are as excited about it as we are."
A&W Canada introduced the burger alternative on July 9 and offers it with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayo.
In the U.S. A&W Vice President of Marketing Sarah Blasi said the separately owned chain and its leadership is watching what's happening with the brand's offering in Canada and elsewhere.
"We are monitoring the trend towards meatless/vegan options and are also reviewing the Beyond Burger for possible introduction in the U.S., but have yet to make a commitment," Blasi said in an email to QSRweb. "It is something we are reviewing with our franchise community. We know Canada has been very successful with this burger and we support their decision to add this to their menu.
A&W in the States has begun a number of burger-quality upgrades, which she said has two phases.
"The Phase 1 changes we are making at this time are operational, (and) are improving the end-quality of the beef patty," Blasi said. "Those changes are rolling out in the field as we speak.
"Phase 2 is reviewing and improving the quality of the beef itself, and that's a bit longer road because of the high hurdle we've set as a target internally. We are working with our suppliers and supply chain to review the antibiotics and hormones in the beef we use.
"We are trying to stick within the '100 percent U.S. Beef' guardrails we've set, while still improving the quality. For the most part, our competitors that have made (the) strongest beef claims are not getting their meat from the U.S because of supply limitations. High quality is a long-term defensible proposition, and that is our focus."
A&W is a worldwide chain and has a particularly strong presence abroad and is quickly gaining steam again on the U.S. front.
Photo: iStock
About S.A. Whitehead
Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.
