McDonald’s says McPlant burger test in California, Dallas didn’t pan out

By Daniela Sirtori | Bloomberg

A test of McDonald’s McPlant burger in San Francisco and Dallas “was not successful in either market,” Joe Erlinger, the chain’s US chief, said at the Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum in Chicago. That test wrapped up in 2022, the company said following the remarks.

Erlinger reiterated that the burger chain’s diners don’t go to its restaurants for salads.

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Erlinger said that “if people really want salads from McDonald’s, we will gladly relaunch salads. But what our experience has proven is that’s not what the consumer’s looking for.”

Shares of Beyond Meat Inc., which has partnered with McDonald’s to produce the McPlant burger, erased an earlier decline as of 1:38 p.m. in New York trading Wednesday to be little changed on Wednesday. McDonald’s shares were little changed.

Instead of plant-based options, McDonald’s is investing in its chicken offerings as consumers lean toward that protein. The company sells more chicken than beef these days, he added.

“Some of it’s driven by affordability,” he said. “Chicken is less expensive to produce, and so for a consumer that’s looking for more affordable food, chicken is a great option right now.”