Impossible Foods’ products are currently sold in 3,000 restaurants in a variety of guises, from chef-driven burgers in New York to faux döner kebabs in San Mateo, Calif., to Impossible bao in Hong Kong. “Some chains sell a volume of burgers that’s 100 times what we can produce right now,” Brown says. “But they will be some of our best customers.”
The company is not yet profitable, but Brown expects that to change in the next decade. Impossible Foods has received about $450 million in funding so far, from sources including Khosla Ventures, Google Ventures, Sailing Capital, and Bill Gates. Much of it has been spent on research, according to Brown. “Right now our growth margin is positive,” he says. “Every time we sell a pound of burger meat, we make money.”
White Castle and Impossible Foods are marketing the burger to an unusual cross section of consumers: those who appreciate the cultural cachet of both the classic slider and a quintessentially Silicon Valley company. The campaign will kick off with a free concert in Detroit on Wednesday evening featuring GZA and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as local rappers Royce da 5'9'' and Dej Loaf. (The Detroit metro area is one of the top 10 regions for Impossible Burger sales, according to Brown.)
Of course, no White Castle marketing push would be complete without a Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle tie-in. Kal Penn, one of the cult classic film’s stars, will make his first promotional appearance for the chain to publicize the partnership.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.