The gooey, out-of-this-world cheesy hashbrown casserole and the knickknacks you don’t need but buy anyway are two reasons lots of customers love Cracker Barrel. For more than 50 years, the restaurant chain has served good old-fashioned comfort food, but there’s a new menu item shaking things up. Many loyal patrons of the restaurant have expressed outrage over the introduction of plant-based sausage to the menu.
Cracker Barrel: Where pork-based and plant-based sausage lovers can breakfast all day in harmony. pic.twitter.com/be4dx5toQ4
— Cracker Barrel (@CrackerBarrel) August 4, 2022
But Cracker Barrel isn’t the first restaurant to offer vegan options. In fact, the Tennessee-based restaurant operator is just taking part in a trend that has been growing in popularity. Several fast-food chains, including McDonald’s and Burger King, have already rolled out plant-based menu options, and the niche-food market is only going to continue expanding its reach.
Projections show the plant-based food market will reach $25 billion to more than $95 billion worldwide by 2030, according to the Plant Based Foods Association. Data shows that over the last four years, the market has grown by $3 billion even though just about 3% of the U.S. population eats a vegan or vegetarian diet. The growth instead comes from consumers who are trying to eat less meat, rather than eliminate it entirely.
What do you think about the expansion of vegan menu options at your favorite restaurants? Let us know in the comments.
