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Plant-based 'meat' marks 1 year at White Castle, 1st BBQ at Famous Dave's

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September 13, 2019

As White Castle marks a year since it introduced the Impossible Slider to its menu, QSR Famous Dave's is testing its own plant-based items as potential menu offerings. 

At the privately owned regional White Castle chain, brand leaders report that the so-called Impossible Slider, introduced first at locations in 140 units last April, then made permanent exactly one year ago this week at all 400 locations, has not waned in popularity since its debut. 

"As a family-owned business that first introduced the hamburger to the masses nearly a century ago, it just feels right that we could also be on the leading edge of the plant-based protein movement today," White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson, said in a news release about the anniversary. "We've appealed to customers who weren't necessarily thinking about White Castle before." 

White Castle restaurants cook the Impossible Sliders — which are shaped in the company's distinctive square format — on grills separate from those used for products made from real beef. The company's buns do not contain any animal-based products, making the Impossible Slider a great option for vegans as well as for vegetarians and others who simply want to minimize their meat consumption.

The brand also said it will release a new stuffing recipe for the first time since its original Thanksgiving stuffing recipe debuted in 1991, only this one will use the Impossible Slider, instead of the original beef-containing version as its base. 

Meanwhile, more brands are signing on almost daily to offer plant-based meat substitutes, including this week, Famous Dave's, which is testing four Beyond Meat-containing menu items at 13 Minnesota and Colorado locations of the barbecue brand. 

The brand solidified a partnership with Beyond Meat earlier this year to make it, according to a news release, the first major barbecue restaurant chain to test meatless options. These plant-based protein options will include:  

• BBQ Street Tacos with barbecue-seasoned Beyond Meat in three corn tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and Fritos corn chips. 
• Fritos BBQ Nachos with the famous brand of corn chips, topped with seasoned Beyond Meat, barbecue beans, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños and Famous Dave's Famous Texas Pit sauce.
• BBQ Bowl with barbecue-seasoned Beyond Meat loaded with lettuce, cilantro lime rice, chili beans, roasted sweet corn, jalapeños, tomatoes and red onions. 
• Tropical Burger with a Beyond Burger stacked with sweet grilled pineapple, topped with Famous Dave's Famous Texas Pit sauce and Spicy Hell-Fire Pickles.

"We have always been proud to provide our customers a variety of quality menu options and look forward to what these new additions bring to the table," Famous Dave's CEO Jeffery Crivello, said in a news release about the new offerings. "We're committed to offering our guests the power of choice when it comes to plant-based protein items, which is why we have carefully crafted these four delicious options that are sure to please our beloved customers and encourage new guests to join us at our locations."