McDonald’s Serves Up Double McPlants at 1,400 Locations

McDonald's sells an estimated 75 burgers each second, and now, the biggest fast-food burger chain in the world may grow that number by catering to meatless eaters worldwide. McDonald's just announced that due to the success of the original vegan McPlant, customers in the United Kingdom and Ireland can expect a Double McPlant on the menu starting January 4 at almost 1,400 locations.

“You asked. We listened,” McDonald’s wrote on the company website announcing the new menu item. The Double McPlant is the second iteration of McDonald's' partnership with Beyond Meat. The original McPlant features a Beyond Meat burger with ketchup, mustard, vegan special sauce, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and dairy-free cheese on a toasted sesame bun. The Double McPlant will feature an additional Beyond patty.

“It’s no secret that people went wild for the taste, with many taking to Twitter to express their desire for a doubled-up version,” McDonald's said.

Within the United Kingdom and Ireland, McDonald's guarantees that the plant-based burger is prepared on a separate grill from the traditional beef burgers. This vegan burger is developed under the three-year partnership deal between McDonald's and Beyond Meat.

One enthusiastic customer tweeted: “I know it’s 7 am, but when [is] @McDonaldsUK going to allow a Double McPlant?? All I want is the option to have two patties. This is the important stuff I need addressed.”

McDonald's Meatless Fast Food

McDonald's sells more burgers than any other fast-food chain, and now, its plant-based burger provides customers everywhere with an affordable and appealing sustainable option. The original McPlant is offered in Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Australia, and the U.K. Most recently, the signature vegan burger became a permanent menu item in the Netherlands.

“We’re so pleased that our McPlant is now officially ‘everywhere’ and available for more of our customers to taste and enjoy,” Michelle Graham-Clare, chief marketing officer at McDonald’s U.K. and Ireland said in a statement last year. “We saw a remarkable response to the trial period back in October. And, now McPlant is on the high street, in retail parks and service stations all over the U.K. and Ireland.”

Although the burger has had several trial runs in the United States, the company has yet to release information about a national launch stateside. Last February, McDonald's rolled out the McPlant at about 600 locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco Bay areas. Before that, the burger was tested at eight select locations across the entire U.S.

McDonald's aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and the McPlant is a central component in reducing methane emissions related to beef. The meat and dairy industries are responsible for about two times the greenhouse gas emissions caused by plant-based diets.

Hungry for Plant-Based Burgers

Before McDonald's debuted its McPlant, Burger King broke into the plant-based market with the Impossible Whopper, featuring an Impossible Foods patty topped with the signature tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, and onions from its animal-based counterpart. This burger is fully vegan without mayo. Now, Burger King offers the plant-based classic at over 7,000 locations in America.

An estimated 1.6 million Americans have purchased vegan products in the last few years, which can be partially attributed to fast-food burger chains. Local chains including Plant Power Fast Food and Noomo join fast-food giants such as Carl's Jr. and Fatburger in the plant-based shift. One report shows that plant-based is showing up on menus nearly 3,000 percent more than four years ago. 

READ MORE: The Best Fast Food Chains for Plant-Based Customers 

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