Starbucks Drops Impossible Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

What changed

Starbucks confirmed it is pulling the breakfast sandwich that used Impossible's sausage patty, with the exit scheduled for this month. The sandwich debuted in 2020 and, until now, the chain's advertised U.S. menu did not feature any other plant-based meat items. Starbucks has offered meatless choices outside of faux meat, including an egg, pesto and mozzarella sandwich.

How the companies described it

In an email, Starbucks said, "While we no longer offer the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich, our baristas would be happy to recommend an alternative sandwich." The company added it regularly reviews menu items using "various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and our business." Impossible said it was "proud to have partnered with Starbucks for more than six years" and that it is "committed to making delicious, nutrient-dense meat from plants more accessible."

The bigger trend

The exit lines up with a broader retrenchment at restaurants as interest in meat analogs has cooled. Diners have backed away from products that try to match meat's taste and texture, and chains have pulled them because sales lagged. Wariness about ultra-processed options has intensified, and that worry now encompasses certain plant-based meat products that pack lengthy rosters of ingredients. Even so, the category still has buyers in grocery aisles, and Impossible began selling at Tesco locations across the UK in late September.

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Why it matters for your portfolio

For restaurant stocks, menu simplification typically follows what sells, not what trends on social. That can mean less experimentation with pricier inputs and a tilt back to staples. For plant-based players, the pivot underscores where demand is holding up - retail more than restaurants - and where distribution wins, like Tesco in the UK, may matter most in the near term.

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