Clearly, the Choco Taco was just the beginning. More than ever before, the big brands of the fast food industry are listening to fan feedback on which foods or snacks should be brought back.
Take for example an item that has not been on KFC menus since 2014 but remains far from forgotten by the internet: the fried chicken wrap.
Once called the Chicken Twister Wrap, the tortilla-wrapped piece of fried chicken has been around in different forms since the 1990s but was permanently pulled from the KFC menu in 2014 to make room for other items.
The wrap has since been available only at international KFC branches in places like China and France — a few years ago, a Change.org petition titled "Bring The KFC Chicken Twister Wrap Back To The USA" garnered over 2,000 signatures.
Burger giant McDonald's (MCD) had its firestorm caused by a fried chicken-filled wrap. Launched in 2006 in a campaign with supermodel Heidi Klum, the Snack Wrap was discontinued in 2020 to simplify the back-end process for employees during the pandemic.
Last spring, a series of viral TikTok videos later revealed to be a hoax hinted at a return.
The Internet Demands The Chicken Crunch Wrap
Earlier this week, the Yum! Brands (YUM)-owned chain surprised fans by announcing that it was in fact testing three versions of the Chicken Wrap — a classic one with pickles and mayo, a mac-and-cheese version filled with both fried chicken and the cheesy pasta, and a spicy slaw version for those who like heat.
KFC minced no words in saying that fan persistence directly influenced its decision to reinstate the wrap.
"There have been over 42,500 mentions on Twitter within the past two years around fans craving wraps, making it a highly anticipated menu item for snackers and KFC fans alike," KFC said in a press release announcing the new rollout.
The wraps will cost $3 each or slightly less for a two-wrap combo and are already available for purchase at KFC restaurants in Atlanta, Georgia as well as nearby suburbs Decatur, Duluth and Suwanee.
Yum Brands
"With our new wraps, our fans in Atlanta are bound to experience a burst of finger lickin’ good flavor with every bite, whether it be from the crunch of our Extra Crispy Tenders, the bold heat from our spicy sauce or the richness of our cheesy mac & cheese," KFC Head Chef Chris Scott said in a statement. "We're excited to hear the feedback on these new flavor combinations from our Atlanta customers!"
When It Comes To Fast Food, Internet Complaining Can Work
Perhaps the most high-profile recent example of internet outrage altering the course of food was Klondike's Choco Taco.
In July, Unilever (UNLYF) 's Klondike announced that it was pulling what for many was an iconic childhood cold treat from production.
"If Choco Tacos are gone, what's next?" horror writer Stephen King wrote on Twitter (TWTR) in what by then was a rapidly-spiralling internet firestorm."Hershey Pies? Salt and vinegar potato chips? Baseball? AMERICAN DEMOCRACY? I tell you: this is how it starts."
By August, Klondike issued a statement saying that Choco Taco's "overwhelming support" made them "reconsider [their] long-term plans."
While the Choco Taco has been pulled from the shelves and is currently unavailable for purchase, Klondike repeatedly entertained rumors that it would make a reinvented reappearance at some point in the future.
The idea of "listening to fans" when it comes to which promotions to make permanent has been steadily picking up steam.
Another Yum! brand, Taco Bell is currently finishing up a fan vote on whether it should bring back the Double Decker Taco or the Enchirito — once the votes made through the chain's mobile app are tallied, the winning item will be brought back to Taco Bell menus for a limited time at some point before the end of 2022.
