Most Major US Restaurant Chains Fail Plant-Based Menu Test, Report Finds

Twenty of the 25 largest US restaurant chains failed a new plant-based menu scorecard, underscoring how little the country’s biggest foodservice brands have changed their default approach to protein. World Animal Protection’s Moving the Menu 2026 update found that only five chains earned a C or better, even as protein has become a front-and-center selling point across restaurant marketing.

The April 8 update reassessed the same top 25 chains across burgers, chicken, sandwiches, coffee and beverages, and Mexican-inspired cuisines. That broad sweep mattered because it showed the gap was not confined to one category or one meal occasion. Burger and chicken chains still largely centered animal-based products, and the organization said most chains continued to offer few plant-based-by-default items. In other words, plant-based options were still present in too few places, too often as add-ons rather than as core menu choices.

World Animal Protection said the industry’s current fixation on “high-protein” messaging was obscuring a bigger opportunity: expanding plant-based foods. That critique landed hard in foodservice, where chain menus often shape what manufacturers develop next and what consumers are willing to try. When the menu signal stays meat-first, downstream innovation tends to follow the same path.

There were a few bright spots. Starbucks, Dunkin’, Dutch Bros and Peet’s had eliminated plant-milk surcharges, a practical change that makes non-dairy drinks easier to order and less punitive for customers. Chipotle and Peet’s also continued to stand out for stronger plant-based options overall. Still, the report said very few chains had made those options the default, which is the difference between a niche accommodation and a real menu shift. Burger King showed only limited movement through Impossible items, but not by making plant-based choices the standard.

The 2026 scorecard followed a similar Moving the Menu assessment released on July 18, 2024, and the comparison suggested progress has been slow. In 2024, World Animal Protection said chains including Burger King, Peet’s and Chipotle had made some notable progress, but the broader industry still lacked meaningful commitments to plant-based-by-default menus. Two years later, the message was unchanged: restaurant operators are still treating protein diversification as optional, even as consumer demand, sustainability pressures and menu innovation all point in the same direction.