Like the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, the all-new Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich is marinated, breaded, pressure-cooked and served on a toasted bun with dill pickle chips—but this sandwich is plant-forward. Since milk and eggs are a part of preparing the dish, and the sandwich inspired by the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich will be made on the same surface as meat-based offerings, it will not be categorized as either vegan or vegetarian.
This new cauliflower sandwich from Chick-fil-A will be coming to restaurants in the Denver, Charleston, South Carolina and North Carolina Greensboro-Triad areas. Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging at Chick-fil-A, said in a statement that "Guests told us they wanted to add more vegetables into their diets, and they wanted a plant-forward entrée that tasted uniquely Chick-fil-A.”
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Plant-forward Fast Food
- The creation of a plant-forward cauliflower sandwich by a fast food giant presents opportunity for other fast food chains to incorporate plant-based alternatives into their menus.
- Flexitarianism
- The introduction of plant-based alternatives in fast food chains create opportunity to cater to the growing number of flexitarians, consumers who seek flexible eating styles that allow for both animal and plant-based options.
- Meat Alternatives
- The trend towards plant-based options in fast food chains presents an opportunity for new players in the meat alternative industry to penetrate the fast food market.
Sectors Adopting This
- Fast Food
- Fast food chains can disrupt the industry by introducing more plant-based alternatives to cater to consumers seeking healthier and more environmentally sustainable options.
- Plant-based Foods
- The rise of plant-based diets and flexitarianism create opportunity for the plant-based food industry to grow, innovate, and supply the fast food industry with alternative products.
- Meat Alternatives
- The fast food industry presents an opportunity for meat alternative companies to introduce their products to a larger market of non-vegan and non-vegetarian consumers looking for plant-based alternatives.
