Beyond Burger Expands to 280 Safeway Stores

Starting next week, Beyond Meat’s plant-based Beyond Burger will be available in 280 Safeway supermarkets across Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii. Previously, the sought-after burger patties were only available at select Whole Foods Markets—in both the meat department and in traditional plant-based product display areas—and through restaurants such as Veggie Grill and Next Level Burger, and on-campus at Yale University. Beyond Burger’s CEO Ethan Brown hopes the expansion will introduce the plant-based patties to a new segment of shoppers. “The expansion of The Beyond Burger into a mainstream, conventional grocer like Safeway really speaks to the continued shift in consumers’ appetites and purchasing patterns,” Brown said. As the plant-based burger continues to expand its distribution channels, Brown said its price (currently $5.99 for two patties) will drop to be competitive with animal-based burgers in the next five years. “That’s when things will really get interesting,” Brown said. With the addition of Safeway, Beyond Burger is now available at 650 stores nationwide and at vegan retailer Green Common in Hong Kong.