White Castle is now the first major fast-food chain to offer vegan cheese.
The chain began seeking “the perfect vegan cheese” last April, noted on the FAQ section of its website. According to the press release, the Impossible Sliders will feature dairy-free cheddar made by Bellevue, Washington-based brand, GoodPlanet Foods.
“Our Impossible Slider was an instant Craver favorite, but it’s about to get a new dimension with the introduction of dairy-free cheddar,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle. “We are excited to bring this new non-dairy, vegan item to Cravers in the New York and New Jersey areas with the hope of taking it to other markets in the future.”
Vegan cheese will be available New Jersey and New York City White Castle locations starting March 1.
White Castle Embraces Vegan Food
White Castle initially trialed the Impossible Slider in April 2018. Due to its success, the Impossible Slider rolled out to all 377 locations that September.
White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson said that some locations sold as many as 300 sliders per day during the trial. “At this point of the test, we’re seeing encouraging signs that this is a good idea that has a lot of potential. What we’re really pleased with so far is that the enthusiasm has remained pretty constant. This illustrates that we’re not just getting first-time purchasers.”
Fast Food Chains and Vegan Food
Like White Castle, Burger King has also embraced plant-based food—and the Impossible Burger. The chain launched a trial of the Impossible Whopper last April Fools Day. Last August, it launched nationwide.
Other major chains have tested the waters with plant-based options. Dunkin’ launched Beyond Meat breakfast sausages nationwide last October after a successful trial in New York City.
Last September, fast-food giant McDonald’s tested a burger featuring a Beyond Meat patty in Canada.
KFC recently launched vegan Beyond Meat fried chicken across 70 locations earlier this month, building on the success of its Atlanta trial over the summer. The meat-free fried chicken now features a new recipe, with an improved taste and texture. If the trial goes well, the fast-food giant may launch vegan fried chicken nationwide.
