Meat replacement sales up 268% at restaurants, study shows

Restaurants’ sales of faux meat products have risen 268% thus far in 2019, a breakneck acceleration from the 21.7% increase noted last year, according to the Dining Alliance purchasing cooperative. 

The sharp upswing was fueled in part by a 26.4% increase in the number of eateries that offer meatless alternatives to beef, chicken and pork since 2017, the Dining Alliance found. The numbers indicate that early adopters are still enjoying healthy sales increases from the vegetarian options, even as the novelty of the products is wearing off.

But the increase in demand has also come at a rising price for foodservice operations. The Dining Alliance said the cost of meat analogs has risen 29% this year as suppliers scramble to keep up with orders.

Despite all the hoopla over new meat analogs from suppliers such as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, half of the meatless alternatives sold by restaurants this year were burgers featuring beans as a main ingredient, the Dining Alliance said. The finding suggests that far more than novelty is driving the surge in the popularity of so-called plant-forward options.

Dining Alliance President Christina Donahue attributes the surge in sales of meat analogs this year to three factors:

The Dining Alliance noted that meat sales still far outstrip the revenues generated by their meatless analogs. Donahue encouraged foodservice operators to ride the boom by considering alternatives to meat products other than burgers. “Smart operators are finding success throughout their menu: in tacos, on pizzas, meatballs, nachos, chilis, sandwiches and other applications,” she said in the report. 

The Dining Alliance aggregates the food and supply purchases of independents to secure volume discounts for participants in the co-op.