Impossible Burger Sells Out in One Weekend

Chef and owner of San Francisco fine dining restaurant Jardinerie Traci Des Jardins reports that the Impossible Burger—which also debuted on two other California restaurant menus (Crossroads in Los Angeles and Cockscomb in San Francisco) last Thursday—sold out over the weekend. “People are really enthusiastic,” Des Jardins says. “It’s a very different demographic than we get at Jardiniere, so it’s fun for us.” Lines began forming at the restaurant at 7pm on Thursday and Des Jardins began issuing tickets to customers planning to purchase a burger in order to efficiently meet demand. The Impossible Burger—which at Jardinerie is served on a vegan bun with caramelized onions, avocado, and special sauce—is now only available in the lounge after 7:30pm. Chef Chris Cosentino of San Francisco restaurant Cockscomb experienced a similar surge of interest in the burger, stating that he sold 100 to 125 burgers daily since the Thursday debut. The Bill Gates-backed burger—which “bleeds” due to plant-based heme—was first introduced to the public at New York-based restaurant Momofuku Nishi in July. Similarly, vegan company Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger—which “bleeds” with the help of beet juice—sold out in one hour upon debuting in the meat section of a Boulder, CO. Whole Foods Market.