Impossible Foods introduced Impossible Burger 2.0 in January 2019 and said it planned to bring the updated plant-based burger to select U.S. grocery stores later that year. The plan became a regional launch in September 2019, beginning at 27 Gelson’s Markets in Southern California. This is a historical launch story—not confirmation of current store availability or today’s product formulation.
What Impossible Foods announced in January 2019
At CES in January 2019, Impossible Foods presented Impossible Burger 2.0 as its first major product upgrade. The company said it was aiming to improve the burger’s taste, nutrition and versatility. Those were the company’s stated goals, not independently verified comparisons.
The announcement included a two-stage rollout: a changeover for U.S. restaurant customers first, followed by a planned entry into select grocery stores later in the year.
How the restaurant and grocery rollouts differed
| Channel | 2019 timing | Geographic reach |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | Impossible Foods said distributors would begin making the updated recipe available to U.S. restaurants on February 4. It forecast that nearly all restaurant customers would be serving it by mid-March; that was a projection, not an audited adoption result. | Planned across the company’s U.S. restaurant customer base. |
| Grocery stores | The company initially said select U.S. grocery stores would get the product later in 2019. The first grocery debut came in September. | Started at 27 Gelson’s Markets in Southern California, with other regional retailers expected to follow, including an East Coast debut later that month. |
In announcing the retail move, Impossible Foods senior vice president Nick Halla, who oversaw retail expansion, called it “a watershed moment in Impossible Foods’ history.”
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What the company said the updated burger could do
Impossible Foods described Burger 2.0 as a plant-based alternative intended for recipes that call for ground beef. The company said its team tested more than 59 home recipes and named grilling, cast-iron cooking, braising, stewing, steaming and sautéing among the methods it explored. These are company-reported development details, not independent recipe testing.
What the 2019 nutrition comparison did—and did not—show
In its September 2019 retail announcement, Impossible Foods reported the following figures for a 4-ounce serving and compared them with a conventional 4-ounce 80/20 beef patty:
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- Meat From Plants for people who love meat
- For all your favorite ground beef recipes
- Each 4 oz serving has 19 g of protein
- 0mg of cholesterol (13g of total fat per serving)
- No animal hormones or antibiotics
| Per 4-ounce serving | Impossible Burger 2.0 | Conventional 80/20 beef patty |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 240 | 290 |
| Total fat | 14 g | 23 g |
| Saturated fat | 8 g | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 80 mg |
These are figures the company published in 2019, not a current package label or proof of the products’ overall nutritional equivalence. The announcement does not establish today’s formulation or nutrition values.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this launch story can tell shoppers now
The announcement explains when Impossible Burger 2.0 moved from restaurants toward grocery retail, and how the first store rollout began. It does not establish whether a store near you carries the burger today. Current local stock, present-day product formulation and package nutrition require a check with a retailer or a current product label.
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Quick Recap
Rank #3
- Made from plants for people who love meat
- For all your favorite ground beef recipes
- Each 4 oz serving has 19 g of protein
- 0mg of cholesterol (13g of total fat per serving)
- No animal hormones or antibiotics
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
