More than Half of Top 100 US Fast-Food Chains Now Offer Plant-Based Foods

More than half (58) of the top 100 fast-food chains in the United States now offer plant-based options, according to a report compiled by advocacy group The Good Food Institute (GFI). The report scored the top 100 based on the number of plant-based options they offered and the depth of the marketing strategies they used to promote such options. GFI found that while Burger King, Carl’s Jr., QDOBA Mexican Eats, Del Taco, Red Robin, and 53 other chains now offer plant-based options, 42 chains—including McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out, and Popeyes—are lagging behind the consumer shift toward plant-based foods. “More top US restaurants are stepping into plant-based or stepping up their existing game to cater to customers looking for more center-of-plate protein variety,” Zak Weston, GFI Foodservice and Supply Chain Manager, said. “Having a strategy for plant-based is now a business imperative—your customers want it and your competitors are doing it.” GFI found many vegan options at Panera Bread and commended the company for its commitment to increase its plant-based options to 50 percent of its menu in the coming years. “We’re at the tipping point where consumers are demanding plant-based foods and the industry is willingly responding with delicious options,” Sara Burnett,  Vice President of Wellness and Food Policy at Panera Bread, said. “This is no longer about a niche customer—it’s a major business opportunity.”