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Dive Briefing:
- Impossible Foods opensRick and mortar foodservice concept called Impossible Quality Meats August 13th at XMarket Food Hall near Uptown, Chicago.
- “It’s all about availability and accessibility,” CEO Peter McGuinness told Food Dive in an exclusive interview. “A lot of people think that plant-based foods are like a warm beer or a cold shower, but that’s simply not the case.”
- McGuinness said the opening is a physical representation of the brand and a creative way to bring together the company's portfolio by combining beef, chicken and pork products with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
Dive Insight:
The company said the opening is a tribute to how Impossible first began. Food Service Since then, we have partnered with several restaurants and have introduced our products to Starbucks, White Castle, and Burger King.
The concept is open for a limited time only and is designed around the plant-based pioneer’s portfolio of beef, chicken, and pork. Menu items include a breakfast sausage sandwich, Chicago-style hot dog, grilled chicken Caesar (salad or wrap), and dessert items in collaboration with Oatly.
“This is the biggest, boldest concept we’ve ever attempted,” McGuinness said.
In March, Impossible served 60,000 meals at its Expo West booth showcasing its new packaging, and in May, its booth also hosted thousands of guests at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.
In recent months, the company has focused on: To increase awareness of our products Breaking free from the environmental impact of plant-based meat.
Taking a different tactic than its competitors, Impossible is moving away from the all-or-nothing message when it comes to plant-based foods.
“We’re trying to have a little fun, and at the end of the day, it’s burgers and hot dogs,” McGuinness said. “I think this whole category has become overly intellectualized, in some cases politicized, in some cases partisan, and very serious.”
McGuinness said environmental and nutritional aspects are important, but the company wants to eliminate stress and rhetoric in those areas.
In March, Impossible rebranded and changed its packaging to attract meat eaters. It was red. The company says the new product design is centered on creating “plant-based meats that are as delicious and nutritionally competitive as or better than animal-based meats.”
While Beyond Meat is banking on health and wellness trends to launch new products, Impossible is trying to bring the experience of eating traditional meat back to plant-based eating. The Impossible Hot Dog, for example, was showcased at a pop-up in New York City.
“We have to be careful about getting a little too righteous and a little too serious,” McGuinness said. The CEO said he wanted the entire category to get better, and part of the problem was that it wasn’t fully inclusive.
“We stand behind our food. We know it’s delicious and nutritious, and consumers are smart. They’re going to make better choices. And that’s our approach, right? We don’t want to guilt-trip or manipulate people.”
