3 Reasons Impossible™ Products Should be on Your Menu

Spring is right around the corner, and with it brings new hope for everyone -- businesses and customers alike. COVID-19 has radically impacted the way restaurants conduct business, demanding unyielding creativity, flexibility and versatility in the way they connect with guests, from simply getting food on the plate (or in the to-go box!) to introducing new menu items and everything in between.

We’ve all been on this journey together and we want you to know that we’re doing everything we can to support our partners through these difficult times, from offering rebates and incentives to dropping our prices to the lowest they’ve ever been to make it easier for you to offer our products. 

Even though ‘business as usual’ has taken on a whole new meaning, there has never been a better time to add Impossible products to your menu, and here are the 3 main reasons why:

1. Menu Versatility - There are limitless menu options with Impossible products

Research shows that 43 million people in the US regularly consume plant-based proteins, and of those, 88% do not consider themselves vegan or vegetarian*. This means that offering Impossible products on your menu allows you to provide more diverse, delicious and innovative options for all types of eaters, which can directly impact your in-store sales. 

The award-winning Impossible™ Burger and Impossible™ Sausage Made From Plants are a 1:1 substitute for any animal - derived meat, making it an easy option to incorporate into existing recipes to delight and satisfy your customers. Whether you want to diversify your existing offerings like Dos Toros with Impossible™ Quesadillas or bring in a completely new menu item like the Famous Plaza Cafe with the Impossible Sausage, the opportunities to serve your customers are endless (and easy to execute!).

Need more menu inspiration? Here are other ideas to get you drooling:

• Impossible™ Pizza, Burrito, Fries, Nachos and Tacos from Veganos Kitchen

• Impossible™ Picadillo Sloppy Joe from Millie’s Cuban Cafe

• Impossible™ Bao from Little Bao

• Impossible™ Taco Salad and California Bowl at Rubio’s Coastal Grill

• Impossible™ Empanadas from Javi’s Cooking 

2. Increased Demand - Get ahead of the competition with a more diverse menu as people return to dining

Consumer preferences and expectations are shifting, especially among Gen Z and Millenials who love the Impossible Burger and Impossible Sausage Made From Plants, and actively seek them out. Over 79% of Gen Z consumers in the United States go meatless at least once a week, so it’s no surprise that the market for plant-based meat alternatives are expected to rise to $15 billion by 2025 (up from $1 billion in 2018). 

Plant-based burgers are among the top 10 fastest growing menu items, expanding 362% in the past 4 years and debuting as the second most popular food ordered on GrubHub in 2020. Impossible Foods is at the heart of this explosion of growth as the only branded item on Yelp’s most mentioned words and phrases since 2010.

55% of consumers would visit a restaurant just to order the Impossible Burger, and 70% of those who purchased an Impossible product in the last 6 months have come back to purchase again.𛲅

Fun fact: In US restaurants, we have outsold our lead competitor by 74%𛲅𛲅. This means that Impossible products are a must if you want to satisfy your existing clientele and bring in new customers. 

3. Profitability - Get the biggest bang for your buck as we all move forward post COVID-19 

There’s a reason why over 25,000 restaurants in the United States alone have added Impossible products to their menu: they’re good for business. Customers love eating Impossible™ dishes, and foodservice operators of all sizes that carry Impossible products have experienced increased visits, in-store sales, check sizes & brand perception. 

Here’s what some of our partners had to say:

"We couldn’t be any more thrilled with the Impossible Burger! It has had a profound impact on our topline revenue, it couldn’t be any easier to work with, and most importantly – it has a fantastic taste! I am a huge fan!" 

- Mark Nicandri, SVP Operations, Gott's Roadside

“Impossible [Burger] has been a super successful rollout for Dos Toros, by every metric...the premium pricing we charge for it has been well received and contributes to topline sales."

- Leo Kremer, Co-Founder Dos Toros Taqueria

In addition to generating demand and growth, we also provide direct support to help you grow your business, like access to free delivery and to-go materials, in-store and online marketing support, exclusive rebates and much more. And with our recent price drop to foodservice distributors, the time has never been better for you to put Impossible products on your menu. We’re in this together and your success is our success.

Build a more resilient business with Impossible Foods 

As the food service industry begins to look towards a post-COVID future, savvy restaurant operators aren’t going back to business as usual. More than ever, they are choosing products that provide versatility, attract new customers and help grow their business. Join us in our mission to transform the global food system and deliver the best experience possible to millions of customers around the world.

Sources:

*NPD 2018 Data 

**2019 Generation IF Report

*** Datassential MenuTrends

 𛲅2020 Impossible Foods Brand Tracker

𛲅𛲅NPD Supplytrack December 2019