IKEA’s Vegan Hot Dogs to Launch in US by 2019

International furniture chain IKEA recently revealed that its new vegan hotdog received a 95-percent customer approval rating. In February, IKEA introduced the vegan option—then a prototype that the chain planned to reforumulate based on consumer response, which would have potentially rendered it not vegan—to the menu at its Malmö location in Sweden. Based on positive consumer response, the brand will expand the offering as-is to all of its European locations in August. Peter Ho, IKEA US Range and Product Developer, revealed that 12 percent of the chain’s customers order meatless dishes. “With the introduction of the veggie dog,” Ho told media outlet Press Herald, “IKEA Malmö is seeing a new customer in their bistro, whether they are vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, or meat-reducers.” In 2015, IKEA launched its first vegan entrée (plant-based Swedish meatballs) and plans to expand the vegan hot dog to menus in the United States. “We do anticipate that the veggie dog will be offered in the US,” Ho said, explaining that IKEA is looking for a US-based distributor and plans to debut the option—which will be topped with fried onions and pickled cabbage—by 2019.