Impossible Foods opens plant-based Chicago pop-up

A leading meat alternative brand has opened its first brick-and-mortar foodservice concept.

Impossible Foods has opened Impossible Quality Meats, a pop-up concept in Uptown Chicago. It offers customers a menu full of plant-based food options, including appetizers, salads and wraps, burgers, hotdogs and more.

The pop-up will be open from Aug. 13 through fall of this year, on Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is located inside Chicago’s XMarket Food Hall, managed by VEG House and leased through PlantX Life Inc.

In addition to experiencing what’s billed as a first-of-its-kind foodservice offering, customers will be able to purchase popular Impossible retail products including Impossible Beef, Impossible Hot Dogs and Impossible Chicken Nuggets at the PlantX Bodega located inside the food hall.

“Impossible began as a foodservice brand, launching our flagship beef product in 2016 with some of the best restaurants in America,” said Peter McGuinness, president and CEO of Impossible Foods. “It’s been a natural evolution for us to create our own branded dining experience to showcase our delicious food. With Impossible Quality Meats, we wanted to offer diners a fun way to experience our food. From breakfast to lunch to dinner, we leaned into classic craveable dishes people love – like nachos, smash burgers and chili cheese dogs. Choosing meat from plants shouldn’t feel like a compromise. It’s great-tasting food, plain and simple.”

To celebrate the opening of Impossible Quality Meats, Impossible is hosting a grand opening party on Saturday, Aug. 17 at the XMarket Food Hall. Starting at 11 a.m., visitors are invited to enjoy free samples of Impossible Hot Dogs, Impossible Burgers and Oatly Soft Serve, while supplies last.

Founded in 2011, Impossible Foods’ products are now served in more than 45,000 restaurant locations across the United States.