Starbucks Partners With Beyond Meat To Offer Plant-Based Alternatives In China

Starbucks (SBUX) will reportedly begin offering Beyond Meat (BYND) products at its cafés in China starting on Wednesday, marking the alternative-meat producers’ foray into the Chinese market.

The coffee chain will put three Beyond Meat items on its menu, including pastas and lasagna made with the beef alternative as well as two Omnipork pork alternative products, Reuters reported. The company will also reportedly offer Oatly’s oat milk as a non-dairy substitute.

The move by Starbucks is an effort to be more “resource positive,” as studies have shown that meat consumption has a negative impact on the environment, leading more consumers to eat plant-based foods, CNBC said.

The news of the Beyond Meat partnership comes as Starbucks reopened the majority of its cafes in China. The company had temporarily closed the locations to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Beyond Meat reportedly has plans to expand its manufacturing to Asia by the end of 2020 as it looks to gain customers in the region.

Starbucks also offers Beyond Meat products at its cafés in Canada.

Shares of Starbucks stock were down 4.57% as of 12:42 p.m. EDT on Tuesday while shares of Beyond Meat stock were up 4.77% at the same time.