McDonald's announced Thursday that it is testing the Beyond Burger at several dozen locations in Ontario to gauge interest in the sandwich.
McDonald's is billing the sandwich as the P.L.T. The. P.L.T. will launch on Sept. 30 in selected markets and last 12 weeks.
The burger is made by Beyond Meat, and was designed to mimic the taste and texture of ground beef.
The P.L.T. has 460 calories, compared to 550 calories for the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese sandwiches.
Burger King also carries a similar product known as the Impossible Whopper, which has 630 calories.
"As customer interest in plant-based options accelerated rapidly, our curiosity piqued, too," McDonald's VP of Global Menu Strategy Ann Wahlgren said. "We’ve kept an eye on this emerging trend and now we’re ready to learn more by running a test in one of our markets."
Wahlgren called the burger "delicious and craveable."
The burger might not be for all vegetarians or vegans as the P.L.T. will be grilled on the same grill as meat products.
Wahlgren said McDonald's is in learning mode, which is why the test is limited to only a handful of restaurants.
"We’re in learning mode, so testing is a major part of how we develop our menu. It’s how we look– before we leap." Wahlgren said.
