Impossible Foods Partners with Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks & Rangers
Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers have made Impossible Foods their official plant-based burger partner, with the brand opening a new concession stand at the arena.
In a major leap forward for its foray into the sports world, Impossible Foods has signed a multi-year partnership with Madison Square Garden Sports Corp and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp (MSG Entertainment).
The deal will see the meat alternative maker become the official plant-based burger partner of Madison Square Garden, as well as the two sports teams that call it home, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.
As part of the collaboration, Impossible Foods is opening a dedicated concession stand, Impossible Grille, on the sixth-floor concourse, which will dish out plant-based creations using an array of its meat alternatives during all events at the iconic venue.
Moreover, the vegan burger giant will receive prominent brand promotion during regular-season basketball and ice hockey games hosted by the Knicks and Rangers, respectively, including in-game LED signage and features on GardenVision, the jumbotron at Madison Square Garden.
“We’ve always focused on making delicious plant-based food more accessible in these kinds of mainstream cultural spaces. Our multi-year partnership with Madison Square Garden will allow us to do so in a place that’s legendary in the world of entertainment and sports,” an Impossible Foods spokesperson tells Green Queen.
“It was clear early on that we shared The Garden’s high standard for quality, and given we’ve worked with various other venues before, including our years-long partnership with Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, we were confident we could deliver on the level of gastronomy that The Garden and their millions of guests expect.
“We want fans to experience a world of plant-based eating that’s just as indulgent as classic concession fare, but with our signature Impossible twist that turns it up a notch.”
Impossible Foods’s menu at Madison Square Garden
At its new concession stand, Impossible Foods will be serving up a range of bespoke dishes, including a double-stack smashburger with two quarter-pound Impossible patties, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and Rafters Sauce on a sesame seed bun. Fans will get to choose between plant-based American or Cheddar cheese.
The company will also offer a banh mi hot dog, centered on its vegan beef hot dog, which will be topped with plant-based dijonnaise, pickled daikon, carrot, jalapeño, Persian cucumber, cilantro, Thai basil, and toasted sesame seeds.
Another dish with an Asian slant is the orange chicken bowl, which entails chilli- and orange-glazed Impossible Chicken and mixed vegetables served on top of jasmine rice. Then there’s a quesadilla stuffed with Impossible Foods’s Steak Bites, peppers, onions, dairy-free mozzarella, pico de gallo, and chipotle mayo, served alongside vegan sour cream.
Finally, in a nod to Madison Square Garden’s home city, the stand will dish out loaded chopped cheese fries, pairing Impossible Beef with onions, vegan Cheddar, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, and Rafters Sauce.
Aside from the creations exclusive to the Impossible Grille, several Impossible Foods products will be available at other concession stands and premium hospitality areas throughout Madison Square Garden, giving the brand access to millions of visitors annually.
“This partnership with Impossible Foods represents another step in diversifying our culinary offerings for guests,” said Doug Jossem, executive VP of global sports and entertainment at MSG Entertainment.
“Adding Impossible Foods’s celebrated plant-based options reflects our commitment to meeting evolving dietary preferences while maintaining the standards our fans expect when they come to events at The Garden,” he added.
For Impossible Foods, the partnership is an opportunity to reach a wide range of Americans at a time when interest in plant-based meat is declining. “Madison Square Garden is one of the most iconic venues in the world, and we’re thrilled to be part of it,” said chief demand officer Meredith Madden.
“Millions of fans show up to The Garden expecting the best of the best, and that includes what’s on the menu. We’re proud to bring the Impossible Burger to one of the greatest stages in sports and entertainment for fans to enjoy,” she added.
Impossible Foods makes a play for the sports world
The collaboration builds on the company’s move into the sports market. Last year, its beef mince and burger earned the NSF Certified for Sport mark, a first for a fresh food product. This validates that Impossible Foods’s plant-based alternatives offer valuable nutrition to athletic lifestyles.
The NSF certification is a requirement for brands to sell food to Major League Baseball and National Hockey League clubs. It’s also recommended by bodies like the NFL, the Professional Golfers’ Association, and the American Sports and Performance Dietitians Association, among others.
“Activating in the sports arena, in particular, is a great opportunity because of the inherent nutritional value of our products. This is further underscored by our NSF Certified for Sport designation, giving athletes and dietitians the confidence that our food aligns with their nutrition priorities,” the company’s spokesperson said.
“We’re able to deliver athletes the high-quality complete protein (comparable to animal meat), fibre, iron, and B vitamins they need to perform in the form of a totally delicious burger. It’s real food, with real nutritional value, and really great taste.”
Now, Impossible Foods is hosting an activation at the Boston Marathon Fan Fest (April 17-19) and the Mile 27 Post-Race Party, where it will serve locally inspired dishes such as Southie Smash Sliders, Ah-So Impossible Nuggets and Marinated Impossible Steak Tips.
“We see an opportunity to bring new consumers into the category by integrating into these spaces where people are already congregating to demonstrate just how easy it can be to incorporate plant-based proteins in their lifestyle without having to do any mental gymnastics about it,” the Impossible Foods representative explained.
It comes as protein becomes the number-one dietary focus for Americans. Nearly three in five (57%) of them plan to prioritise protein this year to increase energy (52%), build strength (51%), and manage weight (48%) – all of which tie in with Impossible Foods’s bet on the sports world.
The company is now working with food tech startup Equii, which makes yeast-protein-powered products rich in fibre, to develop new products and diversify its portfolio beyond a struggling plant-based meat category. But last month, it was asked to pay $3.25M to influencer Joel Runyon and his company Impossible HQ after losing a trademark battle.
All this follows the departure of CEO Peter McGuinness, who left his role in January to take the helm at Bel North America. The company is currently being led by a three-member executive team comprising Madden, chief legal and operating officer Jason Gao, and chief supply officer Robert Haas.