Going beyond the traditional breakfast menu: Dunkin’ rolls out plant-based sausage sandwich

24 Oct 2019 --- Dunkin’ has announced plans for the US rollout of its Beyond Sausage Sandwich following a successful pilot in Manhattan where it quickly became one of the top-selling sandwiches. The move makes Dunkin’ the first nationwide US quick service restaurant (QSR) brand to “go beyond” traditional on-the-go breakfast choices by the serving Beyond Breakfast Sausage which features Beyond Meat’s breakfast sausage patty made with 100 percent plant-based protein and a mix of spices crafted specifically for Dunkin’.

The patty features 10g of plant-based protein and is served on an English muffin with egg and American cheese. It has 29 percent less total fat, 33 percent less saturated fat and fewer calories, cholesterol and sodium than a traditional Dunkin’ Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich on an English muffin.

“Dunkin’ is the brand that democratizes trends for the US, and this latest addition to our menu gives consumers more choice to meet their evolving needs. As we continue to transform our brand, we’re proud to use our platform to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great taste and benefits of plant-based protein,” says Dave Hoffmann, Dunkin’ Brands CEO and Dunkin’ US President.

“We're excited to introduce the Beyond Sausage Sandwich nationwide. In doing so, we offer an option with fewer calories, less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, while delivering more protein and iron than a comparable pork sausage sandwich,” adds Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat Founder and CEO. 

As consumers reduce their meat intake, food companies are rushing to compete with plant-based alternatives. This also includes a plethora of own-label retail rollouts as well as new plant-based products entering the foodservice space, including QSRs. 

The US appetite for meat alternatives is also growing as highlights in an Innova Market Research survey revealing that one in five US consumers “have eaten less meat across the past year.”

The rollout closely follows Barclays research that shows Burger King’s unveiling of The Impossible Whopper is driving traffic to the fast food chain. In April, Burger King became a non-meat platform pioneer by testing the Impossible Whopper in 59 St. Louis restaurants before rolling out the meatless burger across US restaurants in August. Now, Barclays data teams have analyzed geolocation data to assess the impact surrounding the test and the national launch. 

It reveals the preliminary trial generated up to 18 percent gains in the St. Louis locations versus no comparable gains for McDonald’s St. Louis restaurants. And, Burger King has seen a 2 percentage point traffic boost nationally versus McDonald’s with indications that gains have been sustained through to the end of the quarter, according to the analysis.

By Gaynor Selby

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