Pizza Hut Rolls Out Plant-Based Beyond Meat Pizzas Nationwide In U.S. At 7,000 Stores

Pizza Hut has partnered with food tech leader Beyond Meat to bring new vegetarian-friendly plant-based pizzas across the U.S. in a nationwide launch. There will be two new pizzas on offer, marking the first pizza giant in the country to bring plant-based meat pizzas to customers. The fast food giant also announced that it will extend the collaboration with Beyond Meat to the U.K., where pizzas made with the food tech’s plant-based meat alternatives will be available in select locations in London for a limited-time trial.

Announced on Tuesday (November 10) on the same day that McDonald’s revealed a new McPlant line co-created with Beyond Meat, Pizza Hut says it has launched two new pizzas made with the food tech’s plant-based meat substitutes. The two new “Beyond Pan Pizzas” include a Beyond Italian Sausage Pizza and the Great Beyond Pizza, and will be available in all Pizza Hut locations across the U.S. nationwide.

While the first offering will be topped with Beyond’s Italian sausage crumbles and a blend of Italian seasonings, while the second menu item is crafted with fresh vegetables and the same plant-based meat and served on Pizza Hut’s classic pan crust. Both feature dairy cheese, making them vegetarian but not vegan-friendly. 

We’re thrilled to be on this journey with Pizza Hut that enables us to further increase access to better-for-you plant-based meat as we continue to expand our partnership with Yum! Brands.

Ethan Brown, Founder & CEO of Beyond Meat

According to Pizza Hut, the launch makes the chain the first national pizza restaurant to serve plant-based pizzas from coast-to-coast at its 7,000 locations. However, the new pizzas will only be available for a select time period while supplies last – though with Pizza Hut’s over 24 million contactless digital orders being fulfilled since the height of the pandemic in March this year, even a limited-time trial could bring in a significant number of first-time customers for Beyond Meat, not to mention a major boost in brand recognition and awareness. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown said: “Our partnership with Pizza Hut is a category first and together we will continue to raise the bar on game changing product innovations as we introduce the delicious taste of Beyond Meat products to pizza fans nationwide.”

“We’re thrilled to be on this journey with Pizza Hut that enables us to further increase access to better-for-you plant-based meat as we continue to expand our partnership with Yum! Brands,” referring to Pizza Hut’s parent company. 

Our partnership with Pizza Hut is a category first and together we will continue to raise the bar on game changing product innovations as we introduce the delicious taste of Beyond Meat products to pizza fans nationwide.

Ethan Brown, Founder & CEO of Beyond Meat

The pizza restaurant chain also announced an extension of the Beyond Meat partnership to the U.K., where customers will be able to enjoy the new vegetarian pizzas in select locations throughout London, also on a limited-time trial. It aligns with Pizza Hut U.K.’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint by introducing new plant-based alternatives, including considering replacing all dairy cheeses with a vegan substitute.

Though it marks the first time Beyond Meat has worked with Yum! Brands, it has previously collaborated with Yum China, a separate company that operates more than 9,000 locations of major fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC in mainland China. In June this year, Beyond Meat rolled out its Beyond Burger across select locations of the three fast food brands as the food tech pushed ahead with its China-focused expansion. 

All images courtesy of Pizza Hut / Beyond Meat.