The new normal
Three short years ago, Arby’s won over Americans with its open letter poking fun at vegetarians, offering them a help line to avoid indulging in the Atlanta-based quick-service chain’s meat-centric menu. In 2018, vegetarian is now in the mature phase of Technomic’s adoption cycle, popping up on 26% mainstream operators' menus, the report said. However, consumers and operators are not just embracing plant-based dining. Showing up at 19% mainstream operators' menus, vegan is now considered mainstream.
The appetite for vegan fare is manifesting in the channel with new concepts such as celebrity chef Matthew Kenney’s vegan c-store New Deli in Venice Beach, Calif.
Retailers are also investing in plant-based alternatives to c-store favorites. QuikTrip, Tulsa, Okla., launched a bean corn poblano burrito vegan roller grill item in February, and RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., Atlanta, is developing an almond-milk ice cream.