Don't Expect A Plant-Based Meat From Arby's Anytime Soon

In an effort to capitalize on the rise in veganism, several fast food chains have added plant-based burgers to their menus. Around 2018 and 2019, burger chains Burger King, White Castle, and Carl's Jr. were some of the first fast food restaurants to offer Impossible (made from soy) or Beyond (made from peas, beans, and brown rice) burgers. However, despite the hype around these low-emission, environmentally conscious burgers, one restaurant in particular, Arby's, was adamant about their decision not to hop on the vegan-friendly burger train. After all, Arby's whole image is built around meat. 

In 2014, Arby's established a marketing campaign to revitalize their image and boost sales. The slogan, "We Have the Meats," was generated to appeal to millennials and showcase the fast food company's wide range of meaty choices, instead of focusing solely on Arby's famous roast beef. The company sought to solidify itself as the go-to quick service restaurant for your pick of protein — chicken, turkey, bacon, brisket, corned beef, and of course their slow roasted beef. As part of the meat-lovers campaign, the restaurant created a poster with a towering sandwich featuring all the meats, which became known as the Arby's Meat Mountain. Considering all this work put into trying to claim the number one spot for meat enthusiasts, one might think it would severely undermine their efforts to offer a vegan option, and it appears Arby's agrees (although, some might argue plant-based meat is just another protein to add to the list). 

In 2019, Arby's told customers that they would never offer plant-based meat options on their menu. They even took it a hilarious and over-the-top step further in a YouTube video to declare, "If they can make meat from veggies (and other stuff), we can make veggies from meat." In the ad, Arby's delivers the "first-ever Megetable," called the Marrot, a carrot made of meat (specifically, turkey breast cut into the shape of a carrot and covered with dried carrot juice powder). 

This playful rebellion against the plant-based meat movement came from the mind of Chief Marketing Officer of Arby's at the time, Jim Taylor. According to Inspire Stories, Taylor stated in 2019, "Plant-based meats are the latest incarnation of making vegetables look like what Americans really want, which is great, tasty meat." The former CMO collaborated with Arby's Executive Chef Neville Craw to come up with the one-of-a-kind Marrot. More of a statement than an actual menu item, the meaty carrot was created to reflect their commitment to fast-food innovation and high quality animal protein. 

Today, one of the only vegan-friendly options at the fast food chain is Arby's 'vegan' dessert. While their commitment to staying away from plant-based meat aligns with their brand identity, the jury is out on whether they are missing out on a growing market. According to Business Wire, the U.S. plant-based food market is expected to grow by almost $17 billion in the next eight years. Whether or not Arby's will hop on the plant-based gravy train — only time will tell.