“Where’s the beef?” You may have remembered this line from the famous 1984 Wendy’s commercial, where a perplexed, older woman exclaims her discontent over her small hamburger patty. Fast forward some 30 plus years later and the same sentiment still rings true for consumers today—no one likes a small patty! But what if I told you a major fast food restaurant is looking to reduce the beef in its burgers?
Actually, Sonic is exploring testing a reduced-beef burger. Why on earth would that be appealing to consumers? Well, this burger will not be downsized but rather be made from a blend or beef and mushrooms, with the goal of providing a healthier choice for customers. More about this at Restaurant Business Online.
In fact, the concept of blending veggies with meat for hamburgers is not a new concept. Restaurants like Bareburger and Burgh’ers already implement this practice. Blended burgers offer a way to produce a lower-fat patty and potentially promote more sustainability when it comes to the amount of cattle being raised in order to support the hamburger industry.