KFC Launches Finger Lickin’ Beyond Fried Chicken: Business Casual

Daniel Litwin
Jul 22, 2020
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Beyond Fried Chicken Beyond Meat Business Casual Daniel Litwin Podcast Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC MarketScale Plant-Based Chicken Taylor Bagley Podcast Tyler Kern Podcast

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Launching their faux chicken version of their product in about 50 locations in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego next week, Kentucky Fried Chicken is joining the ranks of burger chains and other restaurants vying for customers that prefer plant-based dietary options. But is the offering as ‘finger lickin’ good’ as KFC’s tried and true menu? Well, in a trial run last year in Atlanta, the dish sold out in just one hour! A culinary collaboration between Beyond Meat and KFC and coated in an exclusive-to-KFC breading that is similar to the chain’s popcorn nugget breading, Beyond Fried Chicken is the first protein derived from plants—not animals—to be offered at a national chicken chain in the U.S. However, vegetarian-, vegan-, non-GMO, and gluten-free buyers beware: while 100% plant-based, KFC’s Beyond Fried Chicken dishes will be prepared in the same fryers and oil as their world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken, which may not make the product acceptable for those that adhere to certain dietary restrictions or those with peanut/legume allergies.

On this Business Casual segment, MarketScale co-hosts Taylor Bagley, Tyler Kern, and Daniel Litwin discuss:

  1. Whether the SoCal launch will be as successful as the trial in Atlanta
  2. If this move could lead to more sustainable fast food dining options
  3. How plant-based chicken may impact KFC’s existing B2B sourcing relationships
  4. The best way to market this new product

Every week, Business Casual brings topics to the forefront that affect the food and beverage sector and other B2B industries. For continuing thought leadership, tune in to MarketScale’s Business Casual each Wednesday and Friday to stay abreast of the trends and news shaping our menus and world today.

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