McDonald’s, the global fast food chain, announced the rolling out of its plant-based burger option developed in collaboration with Beyond Meat, The McPlant Burger, across all 190 outlets in Portugal as of September 8.

The McPlant burger initially rolled out across 8 outlets across the US and then further expanded into 600 locations from February 2022 to gauge consumer reactions. While the burger patty is plant-based the product itself is not vegan due to the inclusion of cheddar cheese and mayonnaise sauce.

Analyst QuickTake: While the McPlant burger has been on trial across a large number of locations spanning multiple countries, it has only seen success in its Ireland launch where the company claimed to be “delighted” with its performance. Although analysts estimated a boost to the top line by 35% , recent reports show that the demand for the McPlant burger is lacking. Further in July 2022, following the conclusion of its trial, Beyond Meat shares dropped by 6% with no comments made by either party about future plans for a nationwide launch in the US. Considering the past performance it will be an interesting development to see how the McPlant performs in the European market.