6 Chain Restaurants Currently Testing Vegan Meat Options

When history books are written, 2019 will be remembered as the year vegan meat truly crossed over. This year alone saw the first vegan meat company, Beyond Meat, go public. It also ushered in vegan meat menu items rolling out nationally at major chain restaurants from Dunkin’ Donuts and Burger King to Qdoba and The Cheesecake Factory.

So, what’s next? Here are six chain restaurant currently testing vegan meats:

1. McDonald’s

McDonald’s has been testing vegan burgers in parts of Europe and Australia for a while now. But in September, they announced they were going to be rolling out a new burger called the P.L.T. (plant, lettuce, and tomato) made with the Beyond Burger patty at 28 restaurants in Ontario, Canada. The sandwich will be available for 12 weeks. At that point, McDonald’s will evaluate its success and decide whether to expand its availability.

2. Subway

With nearly 25,000 stores in the US, Subway is the largest restaurant chain in the country. Just a couple months ago, they began testing a marinara meatball sub made with Beyond Meat. The sandwich is currently being sold at 685 Subways in the US and Canada for a limited time.

3. KFC

In August, KFC announced they were going to be testing a vegan fried chicken bucket at one of their restaurants in Atlanta. The test was so successful there were lines around the block. No word yet on when the next test will be or if KFC plans to roll out the vegan meat option nationwide.

4. Quizno’s

Later this month, Quizno’s is set to begin testing a vegan corned beef sandwich option at restaurants in the Denver area. If the test is successful, the chain plans to roll out the sandwich out nationwide. The plant-based corned beef is produced by Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli.

5. Pizza Hut

While this major pizza chain has offered vegan cheese in the UK for almost a year, vegan options stateside have been seriously lacking. Last month, Pizza Hut announced they were testing a vegan Italian sausage option made from MorningStar’s upcoming Incogmeato line of plant-based meats. The pie is currently available at select locations in Phoenix, Arizona.

6. Hardee’s

In two select markets (Raleigh, NC and Kansas City, MO), Hardee’s began testing two vegan meat menu items last month: a Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit and a Beyond Thickburger. Both sandwiches will be available for a limited time. Hardee’s parent company, CKE, also owns Carl’s Jr., where their Beyond “Famous Star” Burger has been a resounding success. It was rolled out nationwide this year after being tested in specific markets.