The global plant-based proteins market is on track to nearly double in value over the next seven years, moving from an estimated $22.5 billion in 2026 to $38.1 billion by 2033, according to a new forecast from Persistence Market Research. The 7.8% compound annual growth rate signals that plant-based menu items are not a passing trend — they represent a durable shift in how commercial kitchens source, store, prep, and cook center-of-plate proteins.
For foodservice equipment specifiers, the implications are concrete. Plant-based proteins — including pea, soy, wheat gluten, and mycoprotein formats — often require different thermal handling than conventional animal proteins. Lower fat content and higher moisture sensitivity mean blast chilling cycles, cold-holding set points, and cook temperatures may need recalibration. Consultants specifying prep-and-storage solutions for high-volume fast-casual or healthcare accounts should revisit standard protein-handling workflows when plant-based SKUs represent a meaningful share of throughput.
On the cooking side, the shift matters too. Plant-based burgers, sausages, and formed proteins have narrower internal temperature windows and can dry out faster under high radiant heat, pushing operators toward combi ovens or impingement systems with tighter humidity control. Operators replacing legacy charbroilers or open-top ranges with programmable cooking equipment gain a precision advantage when handling both conventional and alternative proteins on the same line. Coverage of emerging cooking-equipment categories increasingly reflects this dual-protein reality at spec time.
The market's growth drivers — rising health awareness, lactose intolerance prevalence, and sustainability pressure — also align with purchasing priorities that are reshaping distributor stock decisions. Dealers serving chain accounts and noncommercial segments such as university dining and hospital foodservice are seeing increased RFP language around energy efficiency and sustainable sourcing, categories where plant-based menus often score favorably. Equipment that supports those menus — high-efficiency steamers, low-oil fryers, and refrigerated prep tables configured for plant-based proteins — becomes part of that broader sustainability narrative.
The $38.1 billion endpoint by 2033 represents a market roughly the size of the entire North American foodservice equipment and supplies industry today, underscoring how deeply ingredient economics can shape capital goods demand downstream. Equipment manufacturers tracking menu penetration data as a leading indicator of category growth would be well-served to monitor plant-based protein adoption rates in the segments they serve.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
