Mock Taco Bell Pop-Up Serves Vegan ‘Taco Bell’
At last week’s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, a faux meat company called Beyond Meat set up a mock Taco Bell pop-up serving tacos made with vegan chicken and beef. All you health-conscious stoners out there, meet Taco Beyond.
The booth was decked out in full T-Bell-esque trimmings, from the golden bell to the bold red and purple fonts. According to Beyond Meat Chief Operating Officer Tony Prudhomme, their goal was to spam the fast food giant’s social media in hopes that the corporation will one day use their vegan meat products on the menu. All weekend, visitors took photos in front of a red and purple backdrop and uploaded them under the social tags @tacobell, @BeyondMeat, and #GoBeyond.
“We see ourselves as a meat company that makes all its products from plants. We believe that there’s a better way to feed the planet. We don’t want customers to have to make sacrifices to enjoy the things they love,” explained Co-Founder Brent Taylor.
We got the chance to sample the mock-beef taco ourselves and the verdict: it wasn’t bad. You probably couldn’t tell it wasn’t meat unless you already had a heads up. The protein was definitely meat-similar and they nailed the seasoning. Not too shabby.
Prudhomme says the company loves the Taco Bell brand. They just want to see something sustainable and healthy on the menu.
As for Taco Bell, it’s still a little too early to tell if the corporation will issue an official response, but Beyond Meat looks like their having fun just flooding the Taco Bell social media.
“We’ll probably get a cease and desist letter Monday,” Prudhomme joked.
