A&W’s new plant-based Beyond Meat burger came in sizzling hot, but left many fans and would-be enthusiasts out in the cold when the supply couldn’t meet demand this summer and the stores ran out.

But the wait is soon to be over: As of October 1, Canadian customers ordering the Beyond Meat can anticipate a mouth-watering veggie burger instead of a sorry shake of the head from an A&W Canada employee.

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“With the help of Beyond Meat’s new production facility we are delighted to say that as of October 1st, our Beyond Meat Burger will be back in stock at A&W restaurants from coast-to-coast," A&W CEO Susan Senecal confirmed in an email to the Courier.

"The shortage of our Beyond Meat Burger was due to its immense popularity. We are ecstatic that Canadians love the burger as much as we do and are thrilled it will be back for good.”

Launched in early July, A&W locations in Metro Vancouver and elsewhere across Canada, ran out of stock by mid-August.

The North Vancouver-based fast food chain was taken aback by the widespread interest.

“The demand for our new burger has exceeded our expectations and we’re temporarily out of stock (in some locations)!,” Senecal said in an email to the Courier this summer, urging fans to sign up for an email notification list. Cynics, however, think perhaps this was by design to prolong the hype. We may never know.

The Beyond Meat burger is a beautiful mystery. Everyone is sold out in Vancouver! Am I wrong? If so, where? — jcpy (@jamiecoupy) September 10, 2018

A&W sent an email to those who had signed up for the Beyond Meat waiting list thanking burger-lovers for being “beyond patient.”

Developed in Los Angeles and available to home consumers in a frozen ready-to-cook format, the Beyond Meat burger includes beets in its ingredient list to help mimic the colour of meat, however it does not “bleed”–a claim to fame held by other items on the market.

A&W Canada emphasizes that the patty is plant-based, but the burger is not fully vegan; the patty is cooked on a shared grill, and customers need to opt out of the sauces and cheese to avoid dairy and animal products. The bun’s status as vegan is ambiguous at best; the food additive monoglycerides is used, and it could be animal-derived.

Those who have been “beyond patient” to try or re-experience this revolutionary fast food product that omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike have embraced so swiftly can get their hands on a Beyond Meat Burger from A&W soon.

With files from Elisia Seeber and Richmond News.