Food trends come and go daily. According to the latest statistics, new food products have a 90% failure rate. Although fast food chains have their mainstays, they do introduce new products occasionally. Some are so popular that they add them to the regular menu; others are seasonal and get reintroduced during times of the year. Lastly, some come and go for good. These are party foul, not-so-favorite menu items that didn’t cut it.
McDonald’s McPlant
Who doesn’t want to substitute meat for plant-based products? Apparently, a great percentage of the population. Chain fast food restaurants around the United States attempting to be more health conscious have tried out several different versions of meatless meat sandwiches. Only about 20 sandwiches were sold daily, so it disappeared as quickly as it surfaced.
Wendy’s Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger
Wendy’s released their Big Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger, and you would think that adding bacon and cheese was a no-brainer, but it wasn’t. The sandwich lasted only about a year. It was replaced by the Pretzel Bacon Pub Burger. Fast food eaters are always waiting to one-up their taste buds, so something that includes your favorite only becomes your favorite if you keep adding to it.
McDLT
In the '80s, McDonald's understood the importance of not wilting the lettuce on the BLT and came up with the McDLT. It was a double cheeseburger that had a clever divider so that the bun wouldn’t get soggy from the lettuce and mayo. Although it was popular at first, it was removed entirely from the menu in 1990 because the concept was too pricey to be profitable.
McDonald McSalad Shakers
Attempting to make the food-conscious eaters happy, McDonald used to have the McSalad Shakers, which were little salads in a cup. You simply added the salad dressing to the top of the cup and shook it up. There were three different types of shakers: garden, chef, and grilled chicken Caesar. They only lasted about three years, though.
Wendy’s Chicken Ceasar Pita
The late '80s were all about the love of the Caesar salad so Wendy’s hopped right on board with their version of the Chicken Caesar Pita Sandwich that was low in fat and on a wrap. It only lasted three years before it came off of the menu, but many still miss it.
KFC Chicken Littles
The Chicken Littles might still be on the KFC menu, but it is a redo from the '80s. Originally, the little sandwiches had nothing but a small bread patty, bread, and some mayonnaise. The newer version, however, added a sesame seed roll, a chicken tender, and a pickle.
Pizza Hut’s Taco Pizza
In the late '80s, taco pizzas were all the trend. Pizza Hut was somewhat ahead of the curve when it introduced the taco pizza. Although the taco pizza has lived for many years, it no longer exists, much to the dismay of many fans.
McDonald Arch Deluxe
The McDonald Arch Deluxe was advertised as a deluxe burger that would feed an adult. It was introduced to capture many adults who began to see McDonald's as only a child’s restaurant. Words used to describe it were “complex” and “gourmet,” but it really was just a bigger and juicer version of the hamburger.
McDonald's Pizza
In the '80s, McDonald's tried to compete with Domino's and Pizza Hut by debuting its own McPizza. It originally started as full pizzas, but then it was offered in individual sizes before it was finally taken from the menu. Some restaurants in West Virginia and Ohio lasted much longer than the rest, offering it until 2017.
Burger King Ribs
Burger King first debuted the Ribs in 2010, and they were wildly popular at first. They were originally only a limited-time offering, but they were loved by so many that Burger King ran out of them before the promotional time was even over.
Sonic’s French Toaster Breakfast Sandwich
Sonic is one fast food chain restaurant that is becoming popular due to its ability to pivot and offer things that challenge its competition. When they first entered the breakfast sense, they had a French Toaster Breakfast Sandwich that had eggs, bacon, or sausage squeezed between two pieces of French Bread.
Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer
Not everyone loves tacos, so in the 1990s, Taco Bell decided to try to capitalize on the burger crowd by offering the Taco Bell’s Burger. Instead of a beef patty, the sandwich had taco meat, lettuce, and onions. It did, however, have a bun. The sandwich only lasted until the mid-90s before being removed from the menu.
Wendy’s Frescata Sandwiches
Attempting to capture the sandwich overs of the world, Wendy’s offered the Frescata Sandwich and advertised it as the “picnic in every bite.” Wanting to compete with Subway, they weren’t able to, and the sandwiches were removed in 2006, just after being released.
Taco Bell’s XXL Chalupa
In 2016, Taco Bell maximized the Chalupa and offered more of everything on Chalupa flatbread. It only lasted the summer, but fans can still get the same taste by upsizing their regular Chalupa.
Onion Nuggets
In the late 1970s, McDonalds introduced onion nuggets to their dollar menu. They were extremely short-lived, only lasting a couple of months. Because not many people ordered them, they were quickly deleted from the menu.
Arby’s Sourdough Melts
Arby’s Sourdough Melt was advertised as being “crispy.” Arby melts were around in the early 2000s but didn’t stick around very long. One of them was a ham and Swiss variety with roast beef, like a Rueben sandwich.
KFC’s Double Down Sandwich
The Double Down Sandwich from KFC debuted in 2010, and it was advertised as one of the most unhealthy foods to ever be offered. It had two deep-fried chicken filets with bacon and cheese. The sandwich was a calorie disaster that didn’t make it very long. It was only on the menu for about six weeks.
McDonald’s Chicken Select
Not everyone loves McDonald’s nuggets, so the chain restaurant decided to introduce a newer and more premium chicken nugget called “Chicken Selects.” They were advertised as made from 100% white chicken breast meat only. They only lasted for a little bit before they were eventually taken from the market in 2013.
Fast Food restaurants have to pivot sometimes to try to keep pace with the competition. That means that sometimes they win and sometimes they don’t. Not all trendy foods make the cut, and while some consumers are happy to see them go, others miss them greatly.
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