The company's executives may be laughing at their marketing team's latest publicity stunt, but with the plant-based meat market projected to be worth $27.9 billion by 2025, the joke is entirely on them.
McDonald's is missing out on a huge opportunity to cater to the growing numbers of vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians who like fast food as much as the next omnivore.
Ultimately, the only way to reduce global meat consumption is to be pragmatic -- and that includes plant-based meat startups collaborating with fast food giants.
The #3 company on our Franchise 500 list may be built on the idea of nostalgia, but a new wave of tech-focused initiatives is laying a strong foundation for years to come.