Pizza Hut restaurants in Canada are adding Beyond Meat’s plant-based sausage to their menus permanently, starting Monday.
Nearly a year ago, the pizza chain’s parent company, Yum Brands, announced an official partnership with Beyond for exclusive meat substitutes for Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut. Monday also marks the official launch of KFC Beyond Fried Chicken in the U.S. Through the partnership, the restaurant giant is hoping to attract customers who are eating less meat but may not want to follow strict vegetarian or vegan diets. At the same time, Beyond aims to find new customers for its products.
Pizza Hut locations in Edmonton and Toronto tested the Beyond Italian Sausage Crumbles last summer. There are more than 450 Pizza Hut locations in Canada, and it’s the second market to add a Beyond Meat item to menus permanently, following delivery restaurants in the United Kingdom in July. Domestically, Pizza Hut tested plant-based pepperoni in five U.S. cities this summer, but a nationwide launch hasn’t been announced.
Canadian customers can add the meatless sausage crumbles as a topping to any pizza. A flatbread pizza and an alfredo pasta dish will also incorporate the ingredient. Beyond uses pea protein as its base to mimic the taste and texture of sausage.
Beyond’s stock has tumbled 42% over the last 12 months, dragging its market value down by $4.34 billion. While the KFC launch has encouraged some investors, Wall Street is still concerned about the company’s long-term growth prospects and the competitive landscape. Weak results last quarter damaged confidence in the company, and analysts are more excited about the potential of Beyond’s partnership with McDonald’s.
Yum, on the other hand, has seen its stock climb 26% over the same time. The company has a market value roughly nine times that of Beyond.
