Panda Express Tests Beyond Meat Orange Chicken

Beyond Meat and Panda Express Launch Plant-Based Orange Chicken

Less than a week following Beyond Meat’s announcement of an updated plant-based Chicken Tenders recipe for U.S. restaurants, the company has unveiled a significant restaurant collaboration.

Beginning July 26th, a select number of Panda Express locations in Southern California and New York City will feature an orange chicken dish crafted with Beyond Meat’s chicken product. This partnership represents a substantial opportunity for Beyond Meat, given Panda Express’ extensive network.

Expanding Plant-Based Options

The Asian American fast food chain currently operates 2,200 restaurants, primarily situated in high-traffic areas like food courts.

This collaboration could also mark a pivotal change for Panda Express, which has historically offered limited vegetarian choices. The current availability of plant-based options is notably sparse, with “steamed white and brown rice” highlighted as two of its six plant-based dishes.

Beyond Meat characterizes this launch not as a limited pilot program, but rather indicates in a statement to TechCrunch, “we are confident that people will love the new menu item and we will keep our guests updated with information on additional rollouts.” Wider distribution is anticipated to hinge on initial customer response and demand.

Panda Express' Perspective

“Beyond The Original Orange Chicken is the next step in the brand’s journey to offer more diverse and plant-based options, while still delivering comfort and crave-ability in innovative ways,” stated Panda Express’ chef Jimmy Wang in a press release.

He further explained that reimagining a classic dish provides an approachable method for introducing plant-based proteins to existing customers and potentially attracting a new demographic.

Broader Industry Trends

While incremental, any initiative that contributes to reduced meat consumption is generally considered beneficial. Beyond Meat currently maintains partnerships with several other major food chains, including Pizza Hut, KFC, Denny’s, and Dunkin’, to provide its range of plant-based meat alternatives.

These collaborations demonstrate a growing trend towards incorporating plant-based options within mainstream fast-food offerings.