Burger King is testing an impossible Whopper. That's why

ST. LOUIS -Burger King intends to bring in new customers and encourage existing customers to buy more often: Vegetarian Whoppers.

The hamburger chain announced Monday that it was testing Impossible Whoppers products, made from herbal cakes from Impossible Foods, at 59 sites located in and around St. Louis. If all goes well, Burger King will launch the Impossible Whopper on a national scale.

With the Impossible Whopper, Burger King hopes to "give someone who wants to eat a burger every day, but does not necessarily want to eat beef every day, permission to enter more often." the restaurants, "Chris Finazzo, president of Burger King North America, told CNN Business. It's also a way to encourage vegan and vegan consumers to visit Burger King.

The chain is trying to find a way to add an herbal burger option to its menu for about a year, Finazzo said.

"There's a lot of interest in plant-based hamburgers," he said.

Going without meat provides health benefits. The Impossible Whopper contains a little less calories than the original, beef-based Whopper, is very low in cholesterol and contains no trans fat.

"What [customers] do not want to give up flavor, "said Finazzo.

The Impossible Whopper is supposed to taste exactly like the ordinary Burger King Whopper. Unlike veggie burgers, Impossible burger patties are designed to mimic the appearance and texture of meat when cooked. The vegetable protein startup recently unveiled a new recipe, designed to look and taste even more meat. This version is used in Burger King's Impossible Whoppers.

Other types of fast food and fast casual items also appeal to consumers with food restrictions or preferences. In January, Taco Bell announced that it was testing a vegetarian menu board in stores and that Chipotle has recently expanded its range of diet-based bowls to include vegan and vegetarian options. Lifestyle bowls were launched earlier this year with Whole30 and double meals, as well as keto and paleo bowls.

These promotions highlight items already on the menu at Taco Bell and Chipotle. Impossible Whopper is new and costs more to consumers and the restaurant. Buyers will pay about $ 1 more for an impossible Whopper compared to an ordinary Whopper, said Finazzo, which "will largely offset the cost" of the Impossible protein.

Impossible products are currently served at nearly 6,000 restaurants in the United States, including White Castle and Fatburger, but the partnership with Burger King is a "milestone" for the company, said David Lee, Chief Operating Officer of the company. 39; Impossible Foods and Chief Financial Officer.

"Burger King is a different scale," he said. Lee noted that as the company matures, it should be able to reduce costs for customers like Burger King.

"The only thing we need to be affordable and large-scale compared to the commodity sector in place is time and size," he said.

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