Most McDonald's (MCD) menu changes make sense. You may like an item, but it's generally easy to tell when you're on a bit of an island by yourself, or at least with very few people on it.
Usually, the fast-food giant tries something new and the level of demand lets it know whether the item should stay on the menu, become a recurring limited-time offer, or simply quietly go away. That doesn't mean an item that fails does not have a devoted fanbase.
Some people still take to social media to ask for the return of McSalad Shakers, McPizza, Mighty Wings, and the Arch Deluxe (just to name a few past McDonald's failures, but very few past favorites enjoy widespread public support. In April. however, the fast-food chain posted "Bring back___" on its Twitter account. And, while a lot of forgotten favorites go a little support, there were two clear winners.
One, the Snack Wrap was perhaps the top choice, but the fan favorite wasn't dropped due to a lack of sales. It was discontinued because it complicated operations in the kitchen.
The second item that fans kept bringing up in answer to the chain's Twitter query did not come with the same problem and customers have long wondered why it went away. Now, that fan-favorite product line has been bought back.
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McDonald's Puts a Breakfast Favorite Back on the Menu
McDonald's always has to balance speed of service against giving customers what they want. That's why the chain dropped all-day breakfast during the pandemic and never brought it back. It was simply too hard to balance its breakfast menu (even a limited version of it) while it also cooked burgers. There simply wasn't enough grill space or room in the kitchen.
That's why many menu additions for the fast-food chain are simply variants of what it already has with a new sauce or topping. Adding hot sauce to a Big Mac does not require much effort, while adding a whole new product (like chicken wings or the McRib) does.
Many customers understand this logic and this made them angry when McDonald's dropped its Breakfast Bagels line in early 2022. The only difference between a Sausage or Bacon Breakfast Bagel and a Sausage or Bacon McMuffin was the bread the sandwich is served on. Yes, the Steak Bagel required a different protein, but in a broad sense offering Breakfast Bagels did not add a lot of stress to the chains' kitchens which made their removal a highly-questioned move.
Now, at least in select markets. all three Breakfast Bagels are back.
McDonald's Welcomes Back Breakfast Bagels
As is often the case when its tests a new or returning menu item, McDonald's simply adds it to the menu in select markets. That's what's happening with the Breakfast Bagel line, Chewboom.com reported,
"Breakfast Bagels have been spotted at select McDonald’s locations in Michigan, Indiana, and Pennsylvania," the website shared.
The chain has brought back all three versions of the Breakfast Bagel including the Steak, Egg, and Cheese variant.
When McDonald's dropped the bagel sandwiches as an option, the chain had been working on simplifying its menu as some of its order volume had switched to delivery and takeout. Now that the impact of the pandemic has faded, the chain still has a growing delivery business, but it has become less important to streamline its menu.
That means that the Breakfast Bagels could end up getting rolled out nationwide if demand matches the social media pining for the discontinued item. That's not in any way guaranteed as the McPlant -- the chain's failed plant-based sandwich -- showed that social media noise does not always lead to sustained demand.
