Subway is getting in on the meatless food trend. The company plans to test a new sub, called the Beyond Meatball Marinara, in 685 restaurants in the US and Canada. The test begins in September and is available for a limited time only, although Subway hasn’t said how long that period will be. It also hasn’t said how much the sandwich will cost or how the meatless option affects the nutritional information compared to its classic meatball marinara sandwich.
This move sets Subway up to join in on the meatless fast-food movement. Last week, Burger King announced the broader rollout of the Impossible Whopper, its meatless Whopper. Unlike Subway, though, Burger King is partnering with Impossible Foods, one of Beyond Meat’s main competitors. Carl’s Jr. also now sells a meatless burger made by Beyond Meat, and White Castle is also offering the Impossible Slider. With the launch of these meals, the meatless food market gains visibility, which could help to begin weaning the world off meat. Beyond Meat sells its products in grocery stores, but Impossible Foods is still working to do so. The Food and Drug Administration announced last week that it has approved a key ingredient — soy leghemoglobin — for consumption, which gives Impossible Foods the green light to begin selling in stores.
Beyond Meat went public earlier this year and has said it expects to be profitable by the end of the year. In its more recent earnings call, the company said it plans to continue to develop more meatless options, including ground beef.