McDonald’s Snack Wrap is making a comeback.
According to a company announcement on 7 December, the fast food chain reportedly plans on expanding its chicken-based menu by adding the beloved, fan-favourite Snack Wraps after they were discontinued in 2016.
Having debuted in 2006, portable Snack Wraps were a hit amongst young customers. They were marketed as a healthy option for on-the-go consumers.
The Snack Wraps were so popular that they were credited with boosting sales the chain’s sales at the time. However, after 10 years on the menu, the company discontinued the snack wraps in US restaurants, saying that they were too complicated to make.
To create the Snack Wraps, employees were required to steam tortillas and then tightly roll all the ingredients to fit the product’s slim packaging. Multiple McDonald’s franchisees reportedly complained about the inefficiency of Snack Wraps, demanding their removal at the time to keep service speedy.
Super model Heidi Klum poses with three new designed McDonald’s chicken wraps during a press conference at the Munich Inner City McDonald’s Restaurant ‘Im Tal’ on 29 May 2008 in Munich, Germany— (Getty Images)
But it seems as though they’ve changed their tune, having announced the Snack Wrap’s comeback in light of them expanding their chicken menu.
“This includes plans to offer McCrispy in nearly all markets around the world by the end of 2025 and to expand McCrispy into wraps and tenders. These planned innovations and new menu offerings reflect the Company’s ability to test and scale quickly to serve customers,” McDonald’s announced at an investor conference.
The McCrispy is described as a “southern-style fried chicken sandwich” paired with crinkle-cut pickles and served on a toasted, buttered potato roll.
With the company’s chicken business currently on par with beef, they want to continue this expansive phase focusing on “such as McNuggets, McChicken, McCrispy, and McSpicy,” according to the company’s news release. The chain added during an investor conference that they estimate that chicken is a $25bn business for them.
A McDonald’s location in St Ignace, Michigan— (Getty Images)
The company reportedly also plans on opening 10,000 restaurants around the world over the next four years, indicating what will become the “fastest period of growth” in the company’s 68-year history. As it is McDonald’s is already the world’s largest burger chain, operating at least 40,000 restaurants globally.
The Associated Press reports that 900 of these new restaurants will be in the U.S., while a reported 1,900 international stores will launch in Canada, Germany, the UK, and Australia.
They also announced that they were planning on increasing user activity on their MyMcDonald’s Rewards app, aiming for 150 million to 250 million users that are active for 90 days by 2027.
Compared to its fast-food competitors, McDonald’s plans are ambitious. Chains like Subway and Starbucks respectively have 37,000 and 38,000 stores worldwide. Meanwhile, Yum! Brands - owner of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, and the largest restaurant company in the world - reportedly has 55,000 restaurants in over 155 countries and territories.
