Burger King Ditches Morningstar Burger as Impossible Ascends

(Bloomberg) -- The war for meatless hamburgers has a new casualty.

Burger King is getting rid of its Morningstar Farms veggie burgers, which are supplied by Kellogg Co., after the U.S. rollout of plant-based patties from Impossible Foods Inc. earlier this year. The Impossible Whopper helped the fast-food chain lure customers and boost sales in its latest quarter. Morningstar has lost market share as newer, trendier vegan options gain steam across the U.S.

“Over time, in the U.S. with Burger King we’ll have one alternative protein offer,” Restaurant Brands International Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jose Cil said in an interview on BNN Bloomberg. “Right now it’s Impossible, and we’re transitioning out of the Morningstar product.”

The Morningstar brand is “confident” in its product portfolio, including its coming faux meat line Incogmeato, said Wendy Davidson, president of Kellogg Specialty Channels. “Morningstar Farms consumption continues to grow.”

Burger King is using other suppliers for substitute beef burgers outside of the U.S.

--With assistance from Greg Bonnell.

To contact the reporters on this story: Leslie Patton in Chicago at lpatton5@bloomberg.net;Deena Shanker in New York at dshanker@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anne Riley Moffat at ariley17@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Roeder, Lisa Wolfson

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.