Today (April Fools, of all days) Burger King announced that they'll be testing a plant-based version of their ever-popular Whopper.
In fact, starting today they're serving the Impossible Whopper in 59 Burger King restaurants in the St. Louis area.
For the launch, Burger King released a video of their regular customers unknowingly trying the plant-based burger patties, not their regular meat-based one.
View this video on YouTube
"We swear it's not beef."
How did this come to be? Burger King partnered with Impossible Foods, a plant-based food company with the goal of "making meat better" through science.
Given the information presented above, it was kinda confusing, actually: was this exciting news for real or just another April Fools Day prank?
@BurgerKing are ya'll really testing out the Impossible Burger or is this just a cruel joke on us vegans? 🤨
Yup.. it was a prank. Too bad it's not true. I'd actually walk in the door for a vegan burger. Otherwise, BK not my choice. https://t.co/xhVE57OgGs https://t.co/xhVE57OgGs
Well it turns out, it's real. First, I reached out to Burger King and they confirmed to BuzzFeed that it is not, in fact, a prank.
And second... people are actually buying the burger in St. Louis already!
@ImpossibleFoods Done
It's real!
And it looks a lot like a regular Whopper!
Impossible Whopper was excellent. Thanks for picking STL! @ImpossibleFoods @BurgerKing
As I'm sure you'd expect — and as with any vegan stories on the internet — there are mixed reactions to the news. Some people are really excited:
Yaaassss @BurgerKing I loved your chicken fries when I still ate meat and then the simple fact of not having beef flavoring in your fries as I went vegetarian/vegan. Now hopefully soon Impossible burgers nationwide?? Do it, please! <3
wow burger king put out the impossible vegan burger in missouri. please spread that to other states soon omg i’m so happy
Burger King just launched an Impossible Whopper. That’s fucking huge!!! Vegans are making a difference 👏
@BurgerKing US VEGANS DEMAND THE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER BE EVERYWHERE! PLEASE! 😭🙏🏻
Burger King is adding a beefless impossible burger to its menu. It’s a vegan burger with what looks like blood and all. #PerfectForMe😁😁
While others are pointing out that despite the Impossible Burger's plant-based ingredients, it still may not technically be vegan.
Hey @burgerking- is this vegan (cheese / sauce, etc?) - Behold the Beefless ‘Impossible Whopper’ - @nathanielpopper @ImpossibleFoods https://t.co/kRIRtyBKVG
They realize a #vegan won’t eat it if it’s been cooked on (contaminated by) a meat greasy grill? #impossible https://t.co/UV1xpY9FnL
i like to get vegan meals from places that don't continue to slaughter millions of animals and where they are trying to appease to 2 percent of their customers that might eat healthy. hey i got an idea lets kill animals... https://t.co/vIm21mQVfF
A pro-tip to all vegans and lactose-intolerant folks: while the Impossible patty is vegan, your order comes with standard mayo that is not vegan.
It's also worth noting that this isn't the first vegan burger at a nationwide fast food chain.
So regardless if you're vegan or not, care about the earth or not, or just want to try Burger King's latest offering — the Impossible Whopper is here for now.
But it's up to the people of St. Louis now to see if it'll continue! (Come on St. Louis, don't let me down!)