KFC, Beyond Meat Team For Plant-Based Fried Chicken

Forget Chick-Fil-A vs. Popeye’s, KFC is placing a bet that the next big chicken craze will be poultry-free.

The store formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Beyond Meat have announced plans to offer a plant-based fried chicken in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Colonel Sanders might not know what to make of this.

The trial is extremely limited for now. A single store in the Atlanta suburb of Smyrna will offer “Beyond Fried Chicken” nuggets in a six or 12-piece combo meal. The Beyond option will only be available from 10:30 a.m. through 6:30 p.m.

If customer feedback is positive, the test could be expanded to a broader area or a potential national rollout, said Yum! Brands, which owns KFC.

“I think we’ve all heard ‘it tastes like chicken’ – well our customers are going to be amazed and say, ‘it tastes like Kentucky Fried Chicken,'” said Kevin Hochman, president and chief concept officer, KFC U.S. in a statement.

Chicken chains could be the next frontier for companies that are leading the charge in meat alternatives. Beyond and competitor Impossible Foods have already established a notable footprint in the nation’s fast food burger joints. (Burger King carries the Impossible Whopper nationwide.)

“KFC is an iconic part of American culture and a brand that I, like so many consumers, grew up with,” said Ethan Brown, founder and CEO, of Beyond Meat. “To be able to bring Beyond Fried Chicken, in all of its KFC-inspired deliciousness to market, speaks to our collective ability to meet the consumer where they are and accompany them on their journey.”