After a summer in which McDonald's offered a confusing digital summer camp, a promotion that contained no actual new menu items, the fast-food giant owes its fans.
The company hasn't tweaked its menu or used real limited-time offers nearly as often as its rivals. Instead, it has used a mix of menu hacks, where it puts fan-ordered combinations on the menu -- but not really, since customers still had to make the combos themselves.
The entire “Camp McDonald’s” experience followed the company’s recent trend of not making changes to its menu and using celebrities to distract from that non-effort.
Of course, BTS fans may disagree, but knowing what the K-Pop band likes to order and being able to order it by name is not really the same as the chain adding a new burger or bringing back Spicy Chicken McNuggets.
Fortunately, for the fall McDonald's seems willing to go beyond special promotions that mostly involve virtual concerts and glorified coupons. It has already added one new item to its menu, and another popular one appears ready to return.
McDonald's
McDonald’s Adds an Item to Its Menu ...
Thankfully, McDonald’s has avoided being completely on trend and adding a Pumpkin Spice Big Mac. Yes, it will add the now clichéd fall flavor to its McCafe Menu, but that’s sort of expected and not in any way an innovation.
McDonald’s has, however, made a fall menu change that’s a nod to its popular, but likely never-coming-back, All-Day Breakfast.
On Sept. 14 it will begin selling a Cheese danish. The pastry has a cream-cheese filling and a vanilla-cream drizzle.
"The Cheese danish, which is a fresh take on a pastry McDonald's first offered in the '80s, joins an all-star roster of McCafé breakfast items including the apple fritter, blueberry muffin, and cinnamon roll," the company said in a news release.
McDonald's Brings Back a Fan Favorite
McDonald's has a relatively limited dessert menu, consisting of its McFlurry ice creams, various other ice cream treats, cookies, and its famed apple pie.
And while some fans remain angry that the chain now bakes, rather than fries, its pies -- those people truly carry a real grudge, since that change was made in 1992 -- it's a big deal when the company adds a new pie flavor.
Now, according to social media posts, as first reported by Chew Boom, the chain has done exactly that.
"The pumpkin and creme pie features a sugar-coated baked turnover-style crust with a pumpkin pie filling on one side and a creme filling on the other," the website reported.
The fan-favorite treat is generally made available during fall at select locations on an opt-in basis, while supplies last."
While rivals like Yum! Brands' (YUM) Taco Bell and Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) Burger King seemingly have a bold new menu item every week, McDonald's has opted for a very measured approach.
You might see a Halloween Whopper from Burger King or some sort of Mexican spin on Thanksgiving from Taco Bell (the Turkey and Gravy Chalupa needs to happen). But the Golden Arches will play things very straight.
That doesn't mean it won't make an innovative menu addition this fall, but it's likely going to be a conservative one compared with its rivals' offerings.
