New York Newsday | By Alan J. Wax, Randi F. Marshall | May 15, 2003
Veggie burgers produced by a subsidiary of a Long Island company are being sold in hundreds of McDonald's restaurants in Southern California.
McDonald's began selling the soy patties, called McVeggie Burgers, at its 600 Southern California stores on Tuesday, Irwin Simon, chairman, president and chief executive of Melville-based Hain Celestial Group, said yesterday.
Hain's Yves Veggie Cuisine subsidiary in Vancouver, Canada, which produces the patties, has been selling them to McDonald's of Canada for almost a year.
A national rollout in the United States to McDonald's 13,000 restaurants could be of huge importance to Hain, Simon said. "We're excited about it," said Simon. "There's a lot of opportunity here."
The nation's biggest burger chain hasn't said if it will expand sales of the sandwich.
Hain is best known for its Terra Chips snacks, Celestial Seasons teas and other healthy and natural products sold under Hain and other brands.
The McVeggie Burger is served with tangy barbecue sauce, fresh lettuce, tomato, slivered onions and pickles served on a toasted whole-wheat bun.
Some McDonald's restaurants in the New York City area have been selling a soy-based patty produced by another company for several years, Whitman said. McDonald's competitor Burger King has been offering a veggie burger for more than a year in its U.S. restaurants.
The patties, however, are not aimed at vegetarians since they are cooked on the same grill as burgers made of meat. Most vegetarians would object to that practice. Instead, Simon said, they are an alternative for customers who don't want red meat. McDonald's recently introduced a line of salads featuring Paul Newman's brand of dressings. The move helped boost sales at the chain's U.S. operations by 1.3 percent in April, the first gain in 14 months.
Hain's shares climbed 20 cents to $16.44 in trading on Nasdaq. McDonald's shares rose 4 cents yesterday to $8.85 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.New York Newsday:
