Restaurant Brands' (QSR, $68.51) Burger King customers gorge on plant-based Whopper, driving traffic up +18% - report suggests

Burger King’s veggie plunge seems to be paying off in healthy traffic.

The Restaurant Brands International-owned fast food chain started testing a vegetarian version of its Whopper, made with the plant-based Impossible Burger, in several cities starting April.

According to a report from inMarket inSights, Burger King locations in its test market, St. Louis, outperformed the chain’s national foot traffic average by 18.5% in April. The city’s Burger King stores experienced 16.75% higher foot traffic in April than the previous month’s average for all U.S. Burger Kings. Outside St. Louis, stores had a decrease in foot traffic by 1.75% from March’s average, according to the study (as reported by CNBC).

During its first quarter, the chain reported same-store sales growth of 2.2%, down from 3.8% a year earlier. Sales could potentially improve once the plant-based options are expanded into more cities, given the apparent popularity of the Impossible Whopper.

Another fast food giant, McDonald’s, is considering plant-based alternatives for its burgers.

Amidst the growing trend of restaurants offering plant-based food, Impossible Foods - the maker of the plant-based Impossible Burger - raised $300 million in its latest funding round.