Cracker Barrel Unveils Its First Plant-Based Option: Vegan Sausage

Despite America’s passion for the first meal of the day, plant-based diners still have trouble finding a tasty, fulfilling breakfast option. Now, Cracker Barrel is working to close the gap by introducing a plant-based sausage to its 600 locations nationwide. Teaming up with Impossible Foods, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store will officially launch its first meat substitute on June 21.

Cracker Barrel locations will provide customers with the Impossible Sausage on multiple menu items. Though Cracker Barrel’s menu is not fully adapted to cater to vegan customers, the meatless substitute will give guests the option to choose a healthier meatless option. The Impossible Sausage will be featured as a part of Cracker Barrel’s Build Your Own Homestyle Breakfast option ($8.99, but varies by location). The other options include non-vegan eggs and biscuits and gravy.

“At Cracker Barrel, our all-day, homestyle breakfast menu is a staple that draws enthusiasm from guests of all ages, so we are always exploring opportunities to improve how our guests experience breakfast,” Sarah Breymaier, director of Menu Strategy at Cracker Barrel, said in a statement.

“Our new breakfast menu innovations provide a personalized experience with delicious breakfast choices to satisfy every taste bud—whether guests are nostalgic for homestyle food, hungry for a nutritious plant-based option, or have a craving for a sweet treat. At morning, noon or night, we want guests to enjoy craveable breakfast favorites at a compelling value.”

Accompanying the all-American breakfast is the all-American road trip. Popularized by movies like National Lampoon, the road trip is an inseparable part of American culture. But for decades, vegan travelers suffered from a lack of plant-based options at classic pit stop destinations including Cracker Barrel and Burger King. Over recent years, Impossible Foods has tapped into this market to bring American quick, affordable foods made with plant-based ingredients.

“Cracker Barrel’s breakfast has put them on the map as an American favorite and classic road trip stop. It’s exciting to see their homestyle menu expand with delicious plant-based options like Impossible Sausage,” Dan Greene, Senior Vice President of Sales at Impossible Foods, told VegNews. “We’re happy to be along for the ride.”

Impossible teamed up with Burger King to release one of the first meatless fast-food burgers available nationwide. The Impossible Whopper provides drivers, commuters, and all hungry guests with a far more sustainable option than its animal-based counterpart. Since the release, plant-based fast food has quickly grown, projected to reach $40 billion by 2028.

Now, smaller chains including California’s Noomo or Plant Power Fast Food feel empowered to face off against major fast-food corporations. These growing vegan chains aim to bring affordable, healthy, and sustainable fast food to Americans everywhere. This January, Google revealed that searches for “Vegan Food Near Me” grew 5,000 percent over 2021, revealing the demand for accessible plant-based foods

Though planning a road trip is quintessential Americana, many Americans prefer to fly when traveling. But many flyers find themselves facing the same problem on a four-hour flight as if their on a road trip: there are no plant-based options! Impossible recently announced that it partnered with United Airlines to release two new vegan options on select flights and in limited airport lounges. United will provide an Impossible Meatball Bowl to all first-class flyers on domestic flights more than 800 miles in the continental U.S.

This announcement closely follows Impossible's new partnership with Delta Airlines this March. The airline made five new meatless meals available for a month-long trial period on flights traveling 900 miles or longer. The menu items featured Impossible's meatballs alongside vegan lamb from Black Sheep Foods.

For more plant-based happenings, visit The Beet's News articles. 

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Americana singer and songwriter Annette Conlon is also a passionate vegan. She started “The Compassionette Tour,” in an effort to bring compassion, social consciousness, human interaction, and animal issues to a mainstream audience.

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