McDonald’s is finally bringing back its beloved Snack Wrap after years of pleas, petitions and social media nostalgia. Fans can rejoice; the long-awaited item returns to menus next month.
On Tuesday, McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger responded to questions about whether the iconic Snack Wrap would be returning after the company initially discontinued it years ago.
When is McDonald’s bringing back the Snack Wrap?
“It’s back,” Erlinger said in a news release, confirming that the food item will return to all U.S. locations on July 10.
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Why did McDonald’s discontinue the Snack Wrap?
McDonald’s first introduced the Snack Wrap in 2006, featuring fried or grilled chicken, lettuce, shredded cheese, and sauce, all wrapped in a tortilla. Although the concept seemed straightforward, the company eventually removed the item from the menu for a specific reason.
The Associated Press reported that McDonald’s removed the Snack Wrap because it had become too complicated for its kitchens to prepare. By 2016, the food item had permanently disappeared from its U.S. menus.
Social media draws attention
Since then, fans of the Snack Wrap have used their voices to attract McDonald’s attention and bring it back. A petition on Change.org has garnered nearly 19,000 signatures, while a viral TikTok of someone eating one in Ireland, where they’re still sold, has racked up more than 1.4 million views, according to the AP.
Earlier this year, McDonald’s hinted at the Snack Wrap’s return during a February conference call on U.S. fourth-quarter sales.
The Associated Press reported that while foot traffic had declined by “double digits” among low-income customers, President and CEO Chris Kempczinski announced ways to bring back this consumer group, and the beloved food item was one of them.
The Snack Wrap returns with a new twist
The Chicago-based burger giant also confirmed that the Snack Wrap would return with a new twist. While the food item initially offered grilled or fried chicken options with honey mustard or sweet chili sauces, the revamped version will only contain fried chicken with its newest recipe and two new flavors: ranch or spicy.
‘We knew we had one chance to knock it out of the park‘
Additionally, all workers at the 13,500 U.S. McDonald’s restaurants will be trained on how to make the process easier for preparing Snack Wraps.
“With this being one of our most highly anticipated menu items, we knew we had one chance to knock it out of the park. It had to be easy for crew to execute,” Erlinger said, per the AP.
McDonald’s believes that reintroducing the Snack Wrap at a lower price could boost foot traffic and sales, as many consumers have opted out of eating at fast food chains and other restaurants due to rising inflation costs.
