How Whopper became the benchmark for vegan restaurant burgers

Since fast-food giant Burger King introduced the meatless Impossible Whopper to 7,000 of its locations nationwide in 2019, the fast-food sector has changed. As a product that topped a veggie patty with basics, the Impossible Whopper was a tipping point that influenced other fast-food chains to explore plant-based options.

“At the time, plant-based seemed like a more incredible opportunity than other white space opportunities I’d studied, like the McCafé launch where they took market share from Starbucks, or other launches in the past where they took market share for obvious business reasons.” Chef Michael Salem, who was responsible for getting the Impossible Whopper on Burger King’s menu, previously told VegNews.

While the Impossible Whopper isn’t completely vegan (it comes with dairy mayonnaise), it’s making a big impact when it comes to broader consumer acceptance—and impending demand—for plant-based fast-food offerings.

Burger King

For Salem, who also collaborated with Kevin Hart’s Hart House, the plant-based Hooper concept offered a more holistic approach that was better for the planet, consumers and animals. “It’s the right thing to do,” he said.

These days, you don’t have to go far to find innovative and convenient vegan fast food. In fact, the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) now celebrates National Burger Month by naming the top 10 best vegan burgers at restaurants and food trucks across the United States — and the competition is fierce.

Top 10 Vegan Burgers

This year, Houston, TX-based food truck Houstatlantavegan (HAV) made the list with its own WAP-er, featuring two seasoned quarter-pound vegan patties, vegan smoked gouda, vegan bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and a toast. A generous amount of HAV’s signature sauce on the brioche bun.

houstantlantavegan

And while the name WAP-er sounds like a hooper, HAV owner Uwade Alad says the name is actually inspired by Houston and Atlanta culture. “My brother actually came up with the name. It pays tribute to Megan the Stallion from Houston. He has a song with Cardi B called ‘WAP,’” Alade told VegNews.

“I believe it stands for wet a** p****, but in our case it stands for wet a** patty because it has a lot of sauce. [The] most of us [menu] The item names are all inspired by Houston and Atlanta culture.”

Alade said he was grateful and honored that WAP-er was named one of the best vegan burgers in the country. “We’re really shocked that PETA has targeted us, but still appreciative,” Alad said.

houstantlantavegan

But Aladeo believes it’s deserved because of how far vegan burgers have come. “I think the WAP-er is very popular because the idea of ​​vegan is still just black bean burgers or rice patties,” Alade explains. “So to have a vegan burger like WAP-er’s that tastes like the real deal but doesn’t harm any animals, I think just grabs people and keeps them coming back for more.”

Where to find a vegan hopper

In addition to Burger King’s Impossible Whopper and HAV’s Wap-er, other restaurants have created their own take on the iconic sandwich. Canadian chain Odd Burger may be the first to put its own spin on the classic, offering Whoppers that include a house-made patty, vegan bacon, vegan mayo, pickles, vegan cheese, ketchup, lettuce and onion. Sesame seed pods

Not surprisingly, the chain also offers a vegan version of McDonald’s Big Mac, the famous burger that features two chickpea-based patties, famous sauce, vegan cheese, lettuce, onion and pickles on a triple-decker sesame-seed bun.

Weird burger

Odd Burger first gained popularity when it launched the world’s first 24-hour vegan drive-thru in London in 2017, and it’s now franchising across Canada, the US and Asia in an effort to bring its Voppers and other vegan fast-food classics to more people. “I think consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the challenges of sustainability in the food system and the major fast-food chains are starting to pay attention,” McInnes previously told VegNews.

“Almost every fast-food chain has trialled a plant-based menu item with varying degrees of success, and I think there’s a huge opportunity to show the world how disruptive a completely plant-based chain can be.”

Nicole Axworthy is news editor and cookbook author for VegNews DIY Vegan.