Here are 10 failed McDonalds products.
Just because they rule the fast food universe doesn’t mean that McDonald’s hasn’t made some mistakes along the way.
Here are 10 failed McDonald’s products.
Number 10. McHotDog. Even though there was nothing particularly wrong with the offering, customers just didn’t seem to want it. It was deemed to be too random an item for the chain’s well-branded other offerings, so away it went.
Number 9. Onion Nuggets. Originally released to go alongside the Beefsteak sandwich, the plug was pulled on the nuggets in 1979. Apparently, people could not be swayed to stray from the more traditional ring variety.
Number 8. McPizza. The pizza industry is huge, and although McDonalds wanted in on the action they weren’t able to break into the market. It debuted in the late 80s and disappeared shortly after.
Number 7. McAfrika. Served in a pita the sandwich was meant to be a nod to African cuisine. It was interpreted as an insensitive act due to the famine sweeping across southern Africa at the time of the sandwich’s release. Due to public outcries, the item was taken off of the menu.
Number 6. McDLT. Mostly, it was just a burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion, but the unique part was that it was presented in a dual-compartment Styrofoam container that kept the hot side hot and the cold side cold. Some attribute its failure to being too much work to put together while others cite growing concerns about Styrofoam and the environment.
Number 5. McGratin Croquette. Believe it or not, the French-sounding food was made for Japanese consumers. Even though the country at large didn’t take to the seafood, mashed potato, and fried macaroni sandwich, it intermittently shows up on the menu there.
Number 4. McPasta. McDonalds played around with the pasta idea in the 90s, but it never really went anywhere. More recently they decided to try to sell it to the people of Italy. In advance of the menu item launch one paper likened it to a pool party with "the devil and holy water."
Number 3. McLean Deluxe. Offering a burger option with less than half the fat of a Big Mac sounds like a good idea, but how they leaned down their beef is far from appetizing. Most of the fat was removed from the patty and replaced with water, seaweed extract, and beef flavoring.
Number 2. Arch Deluxe. A whole lot of money was poured into marketing this burger to adults. Ads even showed Ronald McDonald doing decidedly grown-up things like playing golf.
Number 1. Chicken Fajita. Even at 99 cents, this item couldn’t make it. Except for in Canada. Some restaurants there still offer it.
Which menu item do you wish had made it?
