The latest trend of a plant-based burger has attracted the officials of McDonald’s Corp. The firm’s Chief Executive Officer and President Stephen J. Easterbrook recently stated that a Canadian market test is emphasizing a long-term prospect.
During an October 22 earnings call, Easterbrook stated, “I believe what we were focused on is really how best to position this, get an idea of the flexitarian consumers; really what is their appetite for this? Would it lead to progressive visits? Is it an opportunity just to switch out from time to time? We want to get the marketing right, want to get the taste right, want to get the business right.”
A 12-week trial of the Plant, Lettuce, and Tomato (PLT) sandwich was recently carried out in about 28 southwestern Ontario restaurants by the firm involved in producing fast-food. The taste of these test sandwiches was similar to the taste of common McDonald’s hamburgers. Easterbrook stated, “There are numerous vital factors that we are learning rapidly, and we believe Ontario is a great location as it will offer us a good read across North America, frankly, and also into the strong markets in Europe. So, we believe the read across will be helpful and assist us to accelerate our acumen on this.” Meanwhile, McDonald’s has also started delivery services, which are helping it to strengthen a business. This initiative is supposed offer the firm a boost of $4 Billion in 2019.
On a similar note, a recent report from The NPD Group highlighted that people inclined toward choosing plant-based foods is not a temporary trend. The study states that the majority of consumers preferring plant-based meat substitutes are millennials. NPD added that this consumer group considers choosing plant-based foods as a wise decision that helps them in achieving long-term health benefits and deal with the distresses over animal treatment.