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 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.

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 

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

Fast-food restaurants have finally got the memo that their customer base isn’t just coming through for a burger, fried chicken, or a beef taco. Many now have plant-based foods and are coming up with creative, delicious ways to get more greens on the menu. Here are the 6 best fast-food chains with plant-based options on the menu.

Turns out there’s a lot more to rely on than a salad if you’re eating plant-based. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper featuring a meatless patty as well as a few secretly vegan options such as the French Toast Sticks and Hashbrowns.

Known for its mini square-shaped sliders, this hamburger chain jumped on the plant-based bandwagon at some participating locations. You can find an Impossible Slider on some White Castle menus.

This was the first national Mexican fast-food chain to offer Beyond Meat at the company’s 580 restaurants across the country. Del Taco has the Beyond Avocado Taco on the menu along with the Epic Beyond Original Mex Burrito and Avocado Veggie Bowl.

Another brand synonymous with beef burgers, Carl’s Jr. offers several plant-based options for veggie and plant lover such as Beyond Famous Star Burger and Guacamole Thickburger.

This fast-food restaurant may have been one of the first you frequented while transitioning to plant-based eating. That’s because Taco Bell has eight million vegetarian combinations and sells 350 million vegetarian items a year through menu substitutions or ordering off their vegetarian menu. In fact, they were the first quick-service restaurant to offer American Vegetarian Association (AVA) certified food options.

From the time it started offering breakfast sandwiches in 2006, the coffee conglomerate became a competitor in the fast-food space. You can get your favorite hot and cold beverages made with almond, coconut or oat milk but there are also plant-based food options available such as the Baja Black Bean Veggie Wrap, bagel with vegan cream cheese and Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.