The Impossible Burger turned out to be impossible to supply in the quantities customers want — but things are looking up.

Impossible Burger at Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Image credits Tony Webster.

You may be familiar with Impossible Foods, the California-based company that produces arguably the most successful meat-mimicking, plant-based burger patty. Made from heme, an iron-containing compound that mimics a meaty flavor, this patty has a smaller environmental footprint than its beef counterpart, and it has become extremely popular since its debut in 2016.

So popular, in fact, that the company is struggling to cover demand.

Selling like hot patties

“[Impossible Foods] recognizes the inconvenience that this shortage is causing and sincerely apologizes to all customers, particularly those who have come to depend on the additional foot traffic and revenue that the Impossible Burger has generated,” the company stated in a press release.

A Burger King trial run of the plant-based burger in St. Louis went “exceedingly well,” writes Inhabitat. So the two set up a partnership, with Impossible Foods planning to make the burger available in all Burger King locations across the United States by the end of 2019, which is over 7,300 locations. So the pressure is definitely on the company, which recently announced difficulties in producing enough Impossible Burgers to cover the current demand.

To make matters worse, those theme parks, universities, and restaurants that do already serve the Impossible Burger (like White Castle) say demand for the product is soaring — which amplifies the shortage. In light of these developments, Impossible Foods released a statement apologizing for the situation and pledging to address the situation.

Silver linings, however: impossible food has the ingredients on hand to sustain higher production volumes. However, their current facilities are simply unable to produce enough patties. The company announced that it would need to double its output to adequately cover supply, which they plan to do by adding a third shift and installing another production line. No word on exactly when these changes will be implemented, but a spokesperson says the company is committed to them.

Until then, Impossible Burgers advises customers to call ahead before visiting a venue to check if the burger is in stock.