- KFC announced on Thursday it would sell Beyond Fried Chicken at over 50 restaurants in Southern California.
- The plant-based chicken will be available starting July 20 in a six-piece pack, 12-piece pack, or combo meal, while supplies last.
- KFC's announcement comes after wildly successful test launches of Beyond Fried Chicken in Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte.
- To find a KFC selling Beyond Fried Chicken, customers can go to the KFC website's restaurant finder and look for a restaurant with the Beyond logo next to it starting July 20.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
KFC will sell Beyond Fried Chicken at over 50 restaurants in Southern California, the chain announced on Thursday in a press release emailed to Business Insider.
The plant-based chicken will be sold in greater Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as Orange County, starting July 20. It will be available in six-piece or 12-piece packs or as part of a combo meal, while supplies last.
"Despite many imitations, the flavor of Kentucky Fried Chicken is one that has never been replicated until Beyond Fried Chicken," Andrea Zahumensky, KFC US's chief marketing officer, said in the press release. "We know the East Coast loved it, so we thought we'd give those on the West Coast a chance to tell us what they think in an exclusive sneak peek."
KFC's announcement comes after several successful test launches of Beyond Fried Chicken in other markets in 2019 and early 2020. In August 2019, KFC's first test launch of Beyond Fried Chicken in Atlanta drew lines around the block and sold out within five hours. Then, in February 2020, KFC rolled out an extended test run of Beyond Fried Chicken at restaurants in Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina, which received an "overwhelmingly positive guest response" according to the press release.
Beyond Meat is one of the biggest alternative protein brands in the world. The company went public last year at a valuation of almost $1.5 billion. And the entire industry is growing fast. In 2019, UBS predicted that the plant-based meat industry could be worth $85 billion by 2030 up from around $4.6 billion in 2018.
"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with KFC and bring Beyond Fried Chicken to Southern California," Beyond Meat CEO and founder Ethan Brown said in the press release. "KFC is a true category leader and we are proud to be their partner of choice as they make delicious plant-based chicken more accessible to consumers."
To find a KFC selling Beyond Fried Chicken, customers can go to the KFC website's restaurant finder and look for a restaurant with the Beyond logo next to it starting July 20.
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