News

To meat or not to meat: KFC says maybe, Arby's says no way

May 31, 2019

There have been some interesting developments this week in fast food when it comes to the inclusion of increasingly popular plant-based proteins, like the fabled Impossible Burger, translated as White Castle's Impossible Slider and Burger King's Impossible Whopper. Two major QSR chain leaders announced opposing opinions on whether their chains would ever put a plant-based option on the menu. 

At "We've got the Meats" chain, Arby's, President Rob Lynch was unequivocal — plant-based proteins would only appear on that chain's menu if he disappeared from the brand's leadership. That's more or less the tone Lynch took in an interview with Fortune magazine this week when asked about the possibility. Lynch told the magazine that meatless proteins would never appear on the brand's menus "on [his] watch," explaining that it could only happen if he was terminated. 

But at the chicken chain across the street, a.k.a. Kentucky Fried Chicken, CEO Kevin Hochman told CNN he would consider a meatless "chicken" option if a viable offering ever entered the picture. At least on the restaurant front, an option like that has not taken hold, with meatless proteins thus far only in widespread use for beef or sausage alternatives. 

"We are definitely looking at it in earnest and meeting with the big suppliers of alternative proteins to understand the market and where it's headed," Hochman told the media outlet. 

He said that if a plant-based chicken option emerges and "gets more and more mainstream and we think it's right for our customers, we certainly would test it."

Hochman will appear on the QSRweb podcast on June 14 to discuss that trend and other happenings at the chain.