Hopdoddy Burger Bar has removed plant-based meat analogs from its menus and added “regenerative meat,” the Austin, Texas-based burger chain said Monday.
Vice president of culinary Matt Schweitzer said in a release announcing the shift that regenerative farming, an approach to agriculture that emphasizes soil health and fostering a more biologically diverse ecosystem, is “one of the most effective ways to help reverse climate change.”
The beef is being sourced from Force of Nature, another Austin-based company that grazes animals on pastures without synthetic chemicals, and doesn’t treat them with hormones or antibiotics.
Hopdoddy is also sourcing bison meat from Force of Nature.
Advocates of regenerative grazing say that creating healthy soil and pasture with sturdy root systems actually sequesters more carbon than is released through raising cattle.
Hopdoddy said that part of the aim for switching meat is to raise awareness about regenerative agriculture.
“Simply put, a single burger jumpstarts a regenerative food system proven to cool our planet, purify our air and water, rejuvenate our soil, and raise animals like they deserve,” the chain said.
The switch in suppliers is part of a broader campaign that explicitly moves the chain away from plant-based meat substitutes.
“ENOUGH (!) with the narrative of eco-friendly equals plant based,” Schweitzer said in the release.
It has added the tagline, “Save the Planet... One Bite at a Time.”
The chain is keeping its own house-made vegetarian patty, however.
Hopdoddy is also sponsoring the Oct. 4 premiere of “Common Ground,” a film about pioneers in the regenerative farming movement starring Laura Dern, Rosario Dawson, Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerholder, and Donald Glover.
Although conventional beef is still on the menu, Force of Nature products are on four burgers:
The Roosevelt: Bison patty, cherry & fig honey jam, fried shallots, goat cheese, and arugula in a dressing made with pink peppercorns and lemon, starting at $13.95
The Regenerative Royale: Beef patty, American cheese, chipotle ketchup, horseradish honey mustard, onions, and pickles, starting at $10.95
The Mother Nature: Beef patty, a Vital Farms pasture-raise egg, Raw Farm cheddar cheese frico, Brother’s Bond Bourbon onion jam, fried shallots, and pepper aïoli, starting at $13.50
The Buffalo Bill: Bison patty, blue cheesy, Daily’s bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, Buffalo sauce and house mayonnaise, starting at $13.25
They are priced at around a $2-$3 premium to the chain’s other specialty burgers.
Hopdoddy is known for its specialty burgers, including its Lambda Lambda Burger, which was its “Burger of the Month” for January of 2022 and won the Nation’s Restaurant News MenuMasters award for best limited time offer.
That sandwich, starting at $12.95, featured a lamb patty, grilled halloumi cheese, muhammara red pepper spread, arugula, salsa verde, and pomegranate seeds.
It used lamb from regenerative producers.
“We really think that we can replace what we think is a broken food system … and replace a vicious cycle with a virtuous one,” Schweitzer said when accepting the award.
There are 47 Hopdoddy locations in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
