Would you like some fake meat with your cappuccino?
That’s the type of question patrons of Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) in Canada could soon hear as the coffee chain announced that it will sell a sandwich featuring a meat-free patty from Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND).
Beyond Meat plant-based products are already available at other fast food chains. But the partnership between the Seattle-based Starbucks and the El Segundo, California-based Beyond Meats comes as a bit of a surprise. Starbucks is known as an upscale coffee chain, specializing in premium coffee blends and food items such as scones.
However, restaurants have been rushing to add plant-based products that imitate meat to their menus to try and boost sales. Burger King sells a Whopper stuffed with a patty from rival Impossible Foods. And coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts has a breakfast sandwich with a Beyond Meat patty.
Starbucks said its new sandwich, which also has egg and cheddar cheese in it, will be available at all of its 1,500 Canadian stores beginning in March. The patty is made from peas and brown rice and features a blend of fennel, rosemary and other spices. Starbucks has said that it is considering a plant-based patty for the U.S. but hasn't announced any plans for it yet.
Fake meat products haven’t been successful everywhere. Earlier this year, Canadian coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons dropped a test of Beyond Meat patties at its 4,000 stores because it said diners preferred real sausage.
Starbucks shares surged 83 cents, or 1%, to $83.02, while Beyond Meat shares opened Wednesday up $7.37, or 6.7%, to $117.29.
