What's old can quickly become new again in the fast-food world. Some chains bring back the same items on an annual basis (like the Starbucks (SBUX) Pumpkin Spice Latte) while others dip back into their past to find something that makes people nostalgic.
The big fast-food burger chains McDonald's (MCD), Wendy's (WEN), and Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) Burger King tend to do a little of each. Wendy's, for example, just brought back its summer strawberry salad and Burger King regularly brings back variants on its classic Whopper.
McDonald's does that, but it also has a huge array of past menu items to draw from in order to bring back lapsed customers. The fast-food chain has been teasing its U.S. customers by asking them what item to "bring back" on its Twitter account.
People flooded that post with all sorts of requests for past items including some silly ones (nobody really wants Onion Nuggets or Fish McBites back) but a few favorites came up a lot. The number one request in this very unscientific poll may have been "Snack Wraps," a tortilla-based menu item that was discontinued in 2016.
Snack Wraps still appear on the chain's menu in Canada and the company has recently expanded the line in the United Kingdom.
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McDonald's Could Bring Snack Wraps Back
McDonald's dropped Snack Wraps in the U.S. because they did not sell well enough to justify the time they took to make them. They weren't a failure, but the chain has moved away from healthy options in the U.S., so a middling seller that did not serve the company's core audience did not make the cut.
Fans, however, have never let the fast-food giant forget about Snack Wraps which seem to have a dedicated following. Snack Wrap lovers probably won't travel to the U.K. just to get a fix, but the products growing popularity and expanding lineup across the pond could lead to a U.S. comeback.
It's also worth noting that the new line of McDonald's Snack Wraps does veer a little bit from the original intent, but it mostly holds true. There are some healthy options, but there are also a few that may appeal to American tastes.
McDonald's Expands the Snack Wrap Line
The U.K. Snack Wrap lineup includes four choices and they're actually called "Big Flavour Wraps," but they look like the old version once offered in the U.S. The varieties include.
- The Spicy Veggie One: Tasty veggie dippers with spicy relish, crisp lettuce, red onion and tomato, all wrapped up in a soft, toasted tortilla wrap, and vegan certified by the Vegetarian Society.
- The Garlic Mayo Chicken One: New and improved grilled chicken with garlic mayo, tomato, lettuce and cucumber in a soft, toasted tortilla wrap. Also available in Crispy Chicken.
- The Sweet Chilli Chicken One: Crispy chicken with a sweet chilli sauce, cool mayo, lettuce and cucumber in a soft, toasted tortilla wrap. Also available in new and improved grilled chicken.
- The BBQ and Bacon Chicken One: New and improved grilled chicken, plus bacon with smoky BBQ sauce, cool mayo, tomato and lettuce in a soft, toasted tortilla wrap. Also available in Crispy Chicken.
The sauces and mayo paired with fried chicken versions are perhaps a little less healthy than classic versions (but healthy has always been relative when it comes to the fast-food chain). McDonald's has never promised to bring back Snack Wraps in the U.S., but their enduring popularity and the fact that they're still made in a couple of countries make them ripe for a U.S. comeback.
