Dunkin’ Scales Back Beyond Meat Offering

ATLANTA—It appears that Dunkin’s relationship with Beyond Meat is not going to go beyond the Western U.S. In 2019, the two companies announced the nationwide launch of Dunkin’s Beyond Breakfast Sausage sandwich. But now, Dunkin’ is limiting availability of the meat substitute to just 10 states, and the item has disappeared from Dunkin’s online menu, PYMNTS.com reports.

“We maintain a strong relationship with Beyond Meat and will continue to work together to explore innovative plant-based options to meet consumer demand for plant-based menu items,” the company said in a statement. “The Beyond Sausage Breakfast Sandwich continues to be available at several hundred Dunkin’ restaurants throughout the country, including in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Hawaii, Utah, Kansas and Wyoming.”

“We personally enjoyed the Beyond Sausage sandwich at Dunkin’ and thought it was one of BYND’s best, but apparently it did not sell as well as expected,” said Ken Goldman, managing director, and Anoori Kadakia, equity researcher, both of J.P. Morgan, in a note to news reporters.

Despite both the growing market for plant-based options and the trendiness of the category, the menu change at Dunkin’ indicates that alternative protein is not a guaranteed money maker.

To learn more about the growth and challenges that lie ahead for plant-based foods, check out “Plant-Based Food Takes Root” in NACS Magazine.

Menu segments Plant-Based Foods