It seems Taco Bell won’t be becoming a member of so many of its fast-food brethren within the land of pretend meat. After announcing in January that it could be testing its first devoted vegetarian menu this 12 months, Taco Bell revealed on Wednesday that the chain just isn’t planning on working with Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods so as to add plant-based meat to its menu.
“We’ve met with Beyond, we’ve met with Impossible,” Julie Felss Masino, Taco Bell’s president of North American operations, told CNBC. “But I think what we’re proud of is that we’ve been doing vegetarian for 57 years.”
While different chains like Burger King, White Castle, and even taco competitor Del Taco have centered on meatless beef options, Masino informed Insider that Taco Bell is doubling down on its current vegetarian protein choices: the refried beans, black beans, and potatoes that already make Taco Bell a sexy possibility for non-meat eaters.
Taco Bell, which is the only American Vegetarian Association-certified fast-food chain within the nation, boasts a comparatively vegetarian-friendly menu, thanks partially to versatile personalization choices. According to a company blog post, roughly 9 % of all gadgets ordered at Taco Bell are both vegetarian or made vegetarian by customization, accounting for the sale of 350 million vegetarian gadgets a 12 months. The bean burrito — consisting of refried beans, cheese, onions, and purple sauce in a tortilla — is Taco Bell’s no. 2 best-selling merchandise, CNBC reports.
Per Insider, Beyond Meat’s shares have been down yesterday after CNBC reported that Taco Bell wouldn’t be collaborating with Beyond Meat or Impossible Foods to deliver pretend meat to its menu.