KFC to launch Beyond Meat fried 'chicken' across United States

Reuters

Published Jan 04, 2022 05:31PM ET

Updated Jan 04, 2022 06:07PM ET

By Hilary Russ

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Yum Brands Inc's KFC restaurants will start selling plant-based fried "chicken" from Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND) Inc across the United States on Jan. 10 for a limited time, KFC said on Tuesday.

Beyond shares rose more than 7% in after-market trading. KFC, Yum's biggest brand, had nearly 4,000 restaurants in the United States at the end of 2020, according to a regulatory filing.

KFC started testing Beyond's plant-based chicken in August 2019 in Atlanta and expanded to more areas the following year.

In February 2021, Yum and Beyond announced a global partnership to create plant-based menu items for Yum's KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut over "the next several years."