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Step aside fluffy donuts, the plants are officially taking over at Dunkin’.
Dunkin’ Brands said Monday it will bring its Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich to 9,000 U.S. restaurants starting Nov. 6. The decision comes quickly after a July launch at Dunkin’ Manhattan restaurants. Dunkin’ Brands says the sandwich quickly became one its top-selling sandwiches.
“We are extremely proud of our partnership with Beyond Meat (BYND) and thrilled to be the first U.S. quick service restaurant to offer Beyond Breakfast Sausage nationwide. Dunkin’ (DNKN) is the brand that democratizes trends for America, and this latest addition to our menu gives consumers more choice to meet their evolving needs. The introduction of a plant-based option at our shops in Manhattan exceeded our expectations, exciting loyal fans and new customers alike. As we continue to transform our brand, we’re proud to use our platform to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great taste and benefits of plant-based protein,” Dunkin’ Brands CEO David Hoffmann said in a statement.
It’s Beyond Meat’s first nationwide fast-food rollout.
“We're excited to introduce the Beyond Sausage Sandwich nationwide and in doing so, offer an option with fewer calories, less total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, while delivering more protein and iron than a comparable pork sausage sandwich,” said Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat founder and CEO.
The simple plant-based Beyond Meat sausage sandwich has proven to be a winner for both parties. For Dunkin’, it has provided the increasingly coffee focused chain with a good bit of buzz among consumers. Buzz is crucial in the crazy competitive fast food space. In addition, the sandwich was specially designed for Dunkin’ and is unavailable at rival chains. Going forward, the nationwide rollout should only enhance that competitive position for Dunkin’ (at least in the near-term) during the all-important breakfast hours.
As for Beyond Meat, the news continues to show an often skeptical Wall Street that the brand is in fact here to stay. The company has wracked several big partnerships this year in the fast food space, from its Beyond Chicken at Yum! Brands-owned KFC to a burger at Canadian McDonald’s restaurants. Further, the nationwide rollout at Dunkin’ signals Beyond Meat is getting its infrastructure to a place where it could support more fast-food deals, global expansion and greater distribution at retailers such as Target.
Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and co-anchor of The First Trade at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @BrianSozzi