Atlanta-area residents who procrastinated before trying KFC’s test of meat-free chicken are out of luck, at least for now.
The single restaurant testing Beyond Fried Chicken sold out of the product in just five hours after the location generated long lines of curious customers starting at 8 a.m. and continuing all day.
The limited, single-store test was designed to help KFC gauge the interest in faux chicken for a potential wider test and potential national launch. The company worked with Beyond Meat, which has its branded products in grocery stores as well as restaurant chains such as Tim Hortons and Del Taco.
The restaurant, near SunTrust Park in suburban Smyrna, Ga., changed its colors to green for the day and was topped with a Beyond Fried Chicken bucket.
The test once again proved the marketing potential associated with plant-based protein items that have taken hold at numerous restaurant chains, including White Castle, Burger King, Carl’s Jr. and others.
The interest in the product has helped stock in Beyond Meat soar in the few months since its initial public offering. And the possibility that the fake-meat movement could extend into chicken—more complex to pull off than ground beef—expands the potential market for such products even further.
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