KFC Tested Plant-Based Beyond Fried Chicken in Atlanta, and People Went Wild

The restaurant sold out in 5 hours.
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Yesterday, KFC became the first fast-food restaurant to offer plant-based chicken. In a limited test-run at a single store in Atlanta, the chain offered Beyond Fried Chicken nuggets and wings for just one day.

If you've visited a popular fast-food chain lately, odds are good you've seen a plant-based item on the menu. There's Burger King's Impossible Whopper, White Castle's Impossible Slider, Carl Jr.'s Beyond Burger, Fatburger's Impossible Burger, and tons more.

But up until yesterday, the only plant-based options were for beef products.

And based on the turnout for KFC's test-run, people were eager for some chicken options. Really eager.

Customers formed a huge line that wrapped around the store (which, by the way, was decked out in bright green in honor of the plant-based product.) In just five hours, KFC sold out of the Beyond Fried Chicken products. The amount of plant-based chicken they sold that day was equal to how much popcorn chicken they typically sell in a full week. 

Part of the frenzy was likely due to the fact that KFC was giving out complimentary samples of the Beyond Fried Chicken with any purchase. (Customers could also purchase the wings and nuggets as meals or à la carte.)

Still, the turnout was huge, and that could mean Beyond Fried Chicken will be available nationwide somewhere down the line. KFC will be studying the results of the test to determine next steps.

"KFC is an iconic part of American culture and a brand that I, like so many consumers, grew up with," said Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, in a press release. "To be able to bring Beyond Fried Chicken, in all of its KFC-inspired deliciousness to market, speaks to our collective ability to meet the consumer where they are and accompany them on their journey."

One thing is certain: Beyond Fried Chicken is still finger-lickin' good.