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On this day in vegan history · November 10, 2020

Pizza Hut Puts Beyond Meat on the Menu Nationwide

The country's biggest pizza chain by store count decided a plant-based sausage pizza belonged next to pepperoni, and rolled it out coast to coast in a single day.

The facts

Date
November 10, 2020
Products
Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza and The Great Beyond Pizza
Scale
Available at all traditional Pizza Hut locations in the U.S., a chain of more than 7,000 restaurants
Also launching that day
Select Pizza Hut restaurants in London, UK

On November 10, 2020, Pizza Hut became the first national U.S. pizza chain to sell a plant-based meat pizza at every traditional location in the country, launching the Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza and The Great Beyond Pizza with Beyond Meat. The sausage crumbles were co-developed by Beyond Meat and Pizza Hut's culinary team from pea protein rather than pork or beef. The same day, the pizzas also went on sale at a small run of Pizza Hut restaurants in London, making the launch an ocean-spanning test at once. For a chain with more than 7,000 U.S. locations, it was a bet that plant-based meat could sell at fast-food scale, not just in specialty grocery aisles.

In their words

The day in the words of the people who were there. Every quote is verbatim, and every source links out so you can check it.

  1. Our partnership with Pizza Hut is a category first and together we will continue to raise the bar on game changing product innovations as we introduce the delicious taste of Beyond Meat products to pizza fans nationwide.

    Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat CEO and founder, November 10, 2020

    Source: Beyond Meat press release

  2. I'd challenge anyone to go try the new Beyond Pan Pizza and tell the difference. I shared it with friends and family, and they couldn't.

    David Graves, Pizza Hut Chief Brand Officer, November 10, 2020

    Source: Beyond Meat press release

Why it still matters

It moved plant-based meat out of the grocery freezer and specialty burger joint and onto the menu of a mainstream, coast-to-coast chain, a signal that quick-service restaurants saw real customer demand rather than a niche trend.

Sources

This history is still being written.

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