When fast-food chains drop menu items, that can mean different things.
Sometimes, the move is a publicity stunt designed to get attention and allow for a popular food to make a triumphant return somewhere down the line.
That was clearly the case when Yum Brands' (YUM) -) Taco Bell dropped its Mexican Pizza in 2020. The chain took the popular item off its menu during the darkest days of the covid pandemic, as part of a broader effort to streamline its offerings.
Related: Wendy's menu adds a new take on a signature sandwich
Fans were angry but also suspicious. Many suspected that the move was indeed a publicity stunt, and the return of Mexican Pizza made clear that Taco Bell was manipulating its fans.
McDonald's pulled a similar stunt with its McRib, in late 2022. The chain threw a farewell/retirement tour for the popular pork sandwich, saying that it would not return. Then, of course, it was brought back this year at select locations.
So, in the fast-food world "gone for good" rarely means "gone for good." But Taco Bell, KFC and McDonald's all dropped items in 2023 that seem unlikely to return.
Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
KFC and Taco Bell drop fan favorites
Taco Bell changes its menu so often that fans should be skeptical about whether any dropped item will actually be gone forever.
In April, however, the Mexican chain dropped the Quesarito, an item that had been available only on its digital menu.
The Quesarito, a burrito wrapped in a cheese quesadilla, received considerable media attention when it was introduced. Unlike the other items on this list, it seems the most likely to return because all the ingredients to make it remain on Taco Bell's menu.
KFC, another Yum brand, made a menu change that seems at least closer to permanent. The fast-food giant dropped its popular popcorn chicken in favor of offering a higher-end variant of the same thing by introducing chicken nuggets.
"Made with 100% white meat and hand-breaded with KFC's unique Original Recipe of 11 herbs and spices that made the fried chicken chain famous, the Kentucky Fried Chicken Nuggets can be enjoyed as a full meal, a snack on-the-go, complement to the bucket meal or even as an appetizer on the way home," the chain said in a news release.
Dunkin' drops a signature beverage
Before Dunkin' decided that its coffee menu would simply be a knockoff of Starbucks' offerings, the chain introduced the Dunkaccino. The beverage, a mix of coffee and hot chocolate, was first introduced in 2020, back when the chain's coffee menu was simple and the choices were more or less "hot" or "iced."
Dunkin' attributed its move to drop the item to its efforts to operate efficiently.
"As we focus on innovation and finding new ways to delight guests, we continually evolve our menu in an effort to deliver a fast, frictionless experience," the company said in a media statement.
But as is often the case, the goodbye may not be forever.
"The Dunkaccino is retired for now, but there's always the chance for its return in the future," the company said.
McDonald's makes a McFlurry change
Aside from trolling fans with the McRib, McDonald's (MCD) -) rarely takes items off its menu. The chain has dropped various chicken-sandwich lines as it worked toward its McCrispy "permanent" offering, and it has failed with various burgers like the Arch Deluxe and the McDLT. But McDonald's' menu is quite stable.
The chain did, however, make a major change in 2023. That was not taking an item off its menu. Instead, it changed how it makes its popular McFlurry.
Since it was introduced in 1997, the McFlurry was mixed by hooking up its signature hollow-necked spoon to the machine that mixed the dessert treat. In 2023, McDonald's decided that was wasteful and replaced the classic spoon with a traditional one, using a cleanable attachment to mix the toppings into the McFlurry.
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