Beyond Meat is cutting approximately 6% of its global workforce, equivalent to around 44 employees in North America, as the once-booming plant-based pioneer continues to face declining demand and macroeconomic headwinds.
The company announced that the layoffs will result in a one-time charge between $800,000 and $1.3 million, and are part of a broader cost-cutting strategy aimed at resizing operations to match the company’s shrinking revenue. Beyond Meat also appointed John Boken, a turnaround specialist from AlixPartners, as interim Chief Transformation Officer to steer the company’s restructuring efforts.
Revenue for the second quarter ended June 28, 2025, fell nearly 20% year-on-year to $75 million, driven by a significant drop in U.S. retail and international foodservice sales. Net loss narrowed slightly to $33.2 million, down from $34.5 million a year ago.
U.S. retail sales took a 26.7% hit, falling to $32.9 million, while international foodservice dropped 25.8% to $15.1 million. CEO Ethan Brown called the results “disappointing” and said the company would now move aggressively to cut expenses and focus on improving margins in its core product lines.
“We are responding by accelerating our transformation activities, including more rapidly and aggressively reducing our operating expenses to fit anticipated near-term revenues,” said Brown in a statement.
The layoffs mark at least the third round of job cuts for Beyond Meat in the last three years, as the plant-based segment that once promised to reshape the future of protein now struggles with sluggish consumer demand, pricing pressures, and rising skepticism over the highly processed nature of its products.
The Good Food Institute reported that U.S. sales of plant-based meat and seafood fell 7% to $1.2 billion in 2024, with unit sales declining by 11%. This downturn has impacted not just Beyond Meat, but also rival Impossible Foods, which has also laid off employees.
Despite overall sales still being significantly higher than a decade ago, the plant-based category is under pressure as many consumers revert to cheaper animal proteins amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
As Beyond Meat recalibrates its strategy and trims its workforce, the future of plant-based meat may hinge on its ability to re-establish value, trust, and taste in a more price-sensitive, health-conscious, and competitive market.