In November 2019, Dunkin released the Dunkin’ Beyond Sausage Sandwich at approximately 9,000 of its locations, and as a result, their net income rose 7.6 percent over the entire year. Dunkin partnered with the company Beyond Meat to create a plant based “sausage” patty made out of ingredients such as sunflower, peas, mung beans, and rice. This sandwich appeals to vegan customers (if they just order the “sausage” patty) and vegetarians alike, which are both growing markets. The sandwich itself consists of egg, melted cheese, and the Beyond Meat “sausage” patty on an english muffin. The “sausage” has been described to taste just like the real thing, so of course, I had to try this breakfast sandwich for myself in order to find out.
I have been vegetarian for about three years now, and attempted to be vegan, I lasted on the plant-based diet for about three months. Right now in college, following a vegan lifestyle is not something I have found to be the easiest, because I rely on the food my college prepares. Even though Siena offers plant-based and vegetarian options, there is not the largest variety to choose from when it comes to meals. Regardless, I have cut out meat completely and have reduced the amount of dairy I consume immensely. As a result, whenever I see that a new vegetarian or vegan food item has been released I get very excited by how the demand for these types of food has increased so much over the past few years.
Being a fan of the Beyond Meat “burger,” I already assumed their “sausage” patty had to be just as good. However, I was surprised that a fast-food restaurant was one of the first food places to offer this patty, especially Dunkin since they are known for its coffee and donuts. Dunkin marketed this new menu item as a healthier option than their regular breakfast sausage sandwich, because the pea patty has 10 grams of protein, 33 percent less saturated fat, reduced cholesterol, and less salt. There were so many advertisements for this new meatless option, that the day it came out, I had my boyfriend drive me to the nearest Dunkin so we could try it.
