One Step Back, Two Steps Forward for Beyond Meat

Tim Hortons ends partnership, while KFC and Denny's expand theirs
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 29, 2020 9:03 AM CST
One Step Back, Two Steps Forward for Beyond Meat
Customers line up at a Tim Hortons in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Sept. 8, 2019.   (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's largest coffee chain is giving up Beyond Meat products after just seven months. Tim Hortons served up an imitation sausage breakfast sandwich, and later added the Beyond Burger to the menu at many of its nearly 4,000 locations last year. But most had dropped the faux meat by September. Indeed, only locations in two provinces—Ontario and British Columbia—still offered Beyond Meat products before Tuesday's announcement that the "limited time" offerings would be pulled. "We are always listening to our guests and testing new products that align to our core menu offerings" and "may offer Beyond Meat again in the future," the company tells Bloomberg, which reports shares fell "as much as 3.9% to $115.40 in early trading Wednesday."

But KFC announced Wednesday that it would start offering plant-based fried "chicken" in Charlotte, NC, and Nashville, Tenn., in February, after what Business Insider calls a "wildly successful" test in Atlanta. Shares had already climbed as much as 9% on Monday with the news that Beyond Burgers would also be sold in 1,700 Denny's locations, after an initial trial in Los Angeles, Business Insider reports. The outlet notes "the company leaped 27% in the week ended Jan. 10 alone, posting its best weekly gain since July after McDonald's said it would expand its trial of Beyond Burgers in Canada." Beyond Meat also has deals with Carl's Jr., Hardee’s, White Castle, and Dunkin' Donuts. Despite Tim Hortons' lack of enthusiasm, Gizmodo suggests "the tide finally seems to be turning in favor of meat alternatives" with companies like Kellogg and Tyson Foods getting involved. (More Beyond Meat stories.)

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