Rutter’s announced last week that the Convenience Store Chain will be adding to their award-winning food service menu with new plant-based items. Rutter’s will be the first convenience store to offer products from JUST and Dr. Praeger’s, with the launch of their plant-based egg patties and burgers, which will be sold at all of Rutter’s restaurant locations.
“With the flexitarian consumer growing at a rapid rate, Rutter’s believes it’s the perfect time to release a plant-based portfolio. Providing our customers with the highest quality, healthier alternative options, while satisfying the ever-growing demand for plant-based proteins, is key to our food service strategy,” states Ryan Krebs, Director of Food Service.
Plant-based products are projected to exceed over $5 billion in global sales by 2020. Consumers are craving these items because of the benefits, which include reducing of greenhouse emissions and encouraging responsible use of land, water and fertilizer.
Rutter’s new plant-based menu will be the first convenience store chain in the country to offer the JUST Egg patty, which has more protein per serving than a conventional chicken egg, is free of cholesterol, saturated fat and artificial flavoring. Its ingredients also require considerably less water, and emit fewer carbon emissions, than chicken eggs. “We’re thrilled that Rutter’s is the first convenience store chain in the country to put the award-winning JUST Egg on the menu, continuing their reputation as a leader in foodservice innovation. By offering delicious, healthier and more sustainable products like JUST Egg, Rutter’s is helping redefine the c-store experience for a new generation of customers. The team at JUST is proud to partner with them on this pairing – one that is better for our bodies and better for our planet,” said Josh Tetrick, cofounder and CEO of JUST.
Additionally, Rutter’s will be the first convenience store in the country to offer Dr. Praeger’s – The Perfect burger. The Perfect Burger, made with clean, veggie-forward ingredients and infused with four kinds of veggies: sweet potato, butternut squash, beet, and carrot. The Perfect Burger has 15% less sodium and 22% less fat per serving than the leading meat-y veggie burger, and it is soy free. “The meat-alternative burger market lacks a tasty, vegan burger that contains a short and simple ingredient list,” says Larry Praeger of Dr. Praeger’s, “The Perfect Burger provides all the flavor you want from a traditional beef burger, but with clean plant-based protein and ingredients you can taste with each flavorful bite.”
Both clean label products will be available on the hot grab-n-go and restaurant touch screen kiosks, labeled as plant-based items for customer awareness. There are a wide variety of options for enjoying the plant-based items across Rutter’s award-winning breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. These include breakfast sandwiches, quesadillas and burritos, breakfast bowls and baskets, pizzas, and build your own burgers.