COLUMBUS, OHIO — White Castle is launching a dairy-free cheddar cheese alternative to complement its plant-based Impossible slider.

The chain introduced its meat-free burger option in April 2018 as a test item before launching it as a permanent offering later that year.

“Our Impossible Slider was an instant craver favorite, but it’s about to get a new dimension with the introduction of dairy-free cheddar,” said Jamie Richardson, vice-president of White Castle. “We’re committed to innovation, and we’re always looking for ways to do things better and make things better for our loyal customers.”

The announcement makes White Castle the first national burger chain to partner with vegan cheese brand GoodPlanet Foods, Bellevue, Wash., which makes the non-dairy cheddar.

White Castle has been growing its plant-based menu offerings for several years. It introduced the veggie slider, a vegan patty by Dr. Praeger’s, in 2015. Both the veggie slider and chain’s black bean slider currently are available at retail outlet locations.

It also recently updated its bun recipe to comply with vegan dietary restrictions.

The company will debut its plant-based cheddar in New York and New Jersey locations on March 1, with the goal of expanding to other markets in the future.