Sure, fake-meat companies can make a vegetarian burger that bleeds. But veggie burgers should be — and historically have been — so much more
, and so catering to that population has largely been viewed as unprofitable. “The way vegetarian options are presented like second-to-last on most menus is in itself a giveaway in terms of prioritizing vegetarian options,” says Murthy., are simply adding Impossible and Beyond to the menu as their first and only vegetarian sandwich option. Elsewhere, vegetarians have noticed the removal of existing veggie burgers in favor of imitation meat.
Murthy says she felt queasy the first time she tried an imitation meat product. “For someone looking for a shroom or bean burger, the [fake meat] version was just not appetizing at all.” Unless a restaurant plans on making its name specifically around its veggie burgers — like Superiority Burger, Bareburger, Lekka Burger, or Burgerlords — imitation meat seems easier for restaurants to serve. In early 2021, Impossible“in an effort to get closer to price parity with conventional meat products,” and because it cooks like meat, it won’t require extra training for restaurant cooks.