Since August 2022 McDonald's has had fun with its biggest fans about which menu items from its past should make their grand return.
The chain used its Twitter feed nearly a year ago to conduct an informal poll as to what past favorites should make a comeback. McDonald's (MCD) -) posted a Tweet that said simply: "Bring back ____," which a viral flood of people to respond.
DON'T MISS: McDonald's Makes a Big Breakfast Menu Change
Not every response was serious. People probably did not really want McPasta or Fish McBites to be brought back, and the McDLT, with its foam packaging, probably remains best left in the past.
A number of people, however, named the top two choices for the fast-food giant to put back on its menu. The first was its Breakfast Bagels line, specifically the Steak Breakfast Bagel, which has actually been brought on as a regular menu item.
That's important because adding bagels as a bread choice doesn't much complicate operations in the chain's kitchens. Reintroducing steak as a protein in the morning means cooking an item that is not served on a McMuffin, McGriddle or biscuit.
But the bagels were not the only item that thousands of people wanted back. The No. 1 choice was clearly the Snack Wrap, a product line McDonald's dropped because the complexity it added in the kitchen was not worth the sales it generated.
The problem -- and it's one a lot of McDonald's fans know about -- is that the Snack Wrap line never left the chain's menu in Canada.
In fact, McDonald's has a new Snack Wrap that's being added to Canadian menus.
Image source: McDonald's
McDonald's Has Changed Its Strategy
When the chain introduced the Snack Wrap in 2006, the idea was that it would give customers an option in between normal meal hours.
At various times, McDonald's has gone after that business, but the chain again seems to be moving away from the concept as it recently dropped its McCafe pastry line.
Originally, these items, which included an apple fritter, a blueberry muffin, and a cinnamon roll, were designed to complement the chain's McCafe coffee offerings. In theory, the beverage line served two purposes. It allowed for an upsell option in the morning and competed with chains like Starbucks (SBUX) -) for afternoon (and maybe evening) snacks.
Dropping the pastries suggested that McDonald's had not been able to drive traffic to its stores during nonmeal hours just for snacks. That does not bode well for the return of the Snack Wrap -- but the line continues to thrive in Canada.
McDonald's Has a New Snack Wrap
The chain's Canadian locations have introduced a new take on the popular product by launching the Caesar McWrap with Crispy Chicken.
"The Caesar McWrap with Crispy Chicken features a seasoned chicken breast topped with bacon pieces, shredded lettuce, and creamy Caesar dressing, all wrapped up in a soft whole wheat flour tortilla. The new wrap can be enjoyed with grilled or crispy chicken," Canadify reported.
McDonald's has been willing to offer different menu items and different promotions in Canada, with some eventually coming to the U.S.
Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden talked about one of those efforts during the chain's recent second-quarter-earnings call.
"Canada also introduced new experiences in the app with the launch of the Frequent Fryer program," he said.
"Tapping into Canadians’ passion for travel, the digital campaign celebrated McDonald's fries and the opportunity to taste them in other countries. This creative approach to reengage with our loyalty members resulted in lifts to both digital acquisition and digital customer frequency during the campaign."
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