At Hardee's, breakfast biscuits are their bread and butter.
That's what makes the company's introduction of a new, plant-based Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit so interesting. After testing the product in a few markets late last year, the company rolled out the meat-free sausage biscuits chain-wide last month.
But Hardee's is hardly the first to create a plant-based alternative for a popular menu item.
Meat alternatives are dominating headlines - and the market. Sales have jumped 11% in the past year and 31% over the past two years. The plant-based food retail market now sits at almost $4.5 billion nationally, according to a report from The Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that supports plant-based meat providers.
A few details about the new Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit:
- At $3, the new Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit costs a buck more than a regular sausage biscuit, which is still on the Hardee's menu.
- The new product has 530 calories, 90 fewer than the regular Hardee's sausage biscuit.
- The Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit has a few more carbs, 47 grams, than the traditional sausage biscuits.
We asked some Chattanoogans to sample the new meat-free sausage biscuit and tell us what they think:
- "I'm blown away by the Beyond Breakfast Sausage Biscuit. The consistency is just like actual meat. For the price, this biscuit will do the trick if I'm hungry enough." - Germyah Batey, Red Bank.
- "I honestly wouldn't have known the difference (between meat and meat-less). There might be a slight difference in taste if you were looking for it. I'd say its worth $1 more if you are vegan." - Jake Percy, Signal Mountain.
- "I typically don't eat sausage biscuits because the grease and fat hurts my stomach. With this, I can tell it won't bother me as much. However, it doesn't taste as good (as real sausage)." - Alyssa Martin, Chattanooga.
- "As a confirmed carnivore, I was not impressed by this new offering, especially if it costs $1 more. I did not find the new biscuit to be a good substitute for the standard "red meat" option from Hardee's." - Tom Snow, Signal Mountain
- "The Beyond Breakfast sausage biscuit was an interesting taste, to say the least." - Madison Toon, Chattanooga.
- "Overall, it tasted fine but I could tell it wasn't really a sausage patty. I'm not sure I would pay an extra $1 for this, but is a good alternative to a sausage biscuit for someone who doesn't eat meat." - Riley Gentry, Red Bank.
(Read more: The skinny on the newest food trend: meatlike non-meat)