In our lifetime, lots of things come and go. Just when you’re not looking, your favorite
thing just vanishes and is quickly replaced with the next new thing. The same goes for
our favorite fast food items. However, there is usually a good explanation for their disappearance,
so here are the 10 Biggest Fast Food Failures of All Time - part 2
McDonald’s - McRib
Approximately 38 years ago, before anyone ever heard of pulled pork sandwiches, McDonald’s
created the McRib, a barbecue-flavored pork sandwich that consisted of boneless pork patty
made from pork shoulder meat that was molded to resembled a miniature rack of ribs. The
sandwich, which consisted of a patty slathered in barbecue sauce, came topped with onions
and pickles, served on a 5-and-a-half-inch submarine roll. It was first introduced to
the menu in 1981. After poor sales, it was removed from the menu in 1985 and reintroduced
a few years later. It stayed on the menu until 2005 in many countries. From 2006 to 2018,
the McRib made an occasional reappearance on the menu for a short period of time every
year during the fall; but only in markets where sales were good. Nonetheless, McDonald’s
executives decided that pork was not eaten as often in most parts of the US for it to
stay on the menu long term. In case you are really dying to try the McRib, a short trip
abroad is in order to Germany or Luxemburg where a McRib can be had at McDonald’s anytime.
Burger King - Veal Parmigiana
The Burger King’s Veal Parmigiana sounded like a sure thing in the ’80s. Everyone
loved this Italian favorite; it tasted like Nonna’s homemade veal sandwich, slathered
with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella on a panini shaped bread. It was delicious, but
the introduction of this veal-based sandwich in 1980 did not come without controversy.
It caught the eye of many animal rights activists in the US, Canada, and New Zealand. A few
years later, several groups were alleging that the veal being sourced to Burger King
was inhumane toward the treatment of these animals. They wanted Burger King to stop serving
the sandwich, which Burger King refused to do. In protest, a boycott of the sandwiches
resulted, and Burger King eventually announced that it intended to pull the sandwich from
the market, stating that it was not because of the boycotts, but because there was a lack
of consumer demand. In fact, the chain said the sandwich sold best in the markets where
the majority of the protests were occurring. The old adage is true: no such thing as bad
publicity.
Pizza Hut - Taco Pizza
This one is for all those kids in the 80’s who will remember Pizza Hut’s Taco Pizza.
Who can forget it, it was the best thing to be invented since sliced bread! Introduced
in the late ’70s and popular until the ’80s, Pizza Hut’s Taco Pizza came served on their
original pizza crust, topped with seasoned ground beef, taco sauce, and a mix of cheddar
and melted mozzarella cheese. The lettuce and tomatoes were added on top after it had
been cooked. “It was a pizza-looking taco-tasting pizza”, as the commercial says. For those
who missed the chance at eating this delicious pizza, it actually looked good and tasted
decent. A cross between Mexican and Italian food, it was really popular for a while trying
to emulate both food genres.But unfortunately, it was more of a gimmick, something people
wanted to try one time, then never returned to. Some chains still make a taco pizza or
a variation of it, and all of them are better then the original Pizza Hut Taco Pizza, which
was, if we're being honest, a bit of a monstrosity. We applauded Pizza Hut for thinking out of
the box, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
Wendy’s - Frescata Deli Sandwich
Wendy’s is best known for its square hamburger patties, but in 2006 they came out with a
new item, deli sandwiches. Wendy decided to cut in on Subway’s action and also increase
their profit margin in that market and began offering their own line of freshly prepared
deli sandwiches. Sold under the name Frescata, the sandwiches offered multiple variations
on the ham and cheese sandwich; they served it on an artisanal bread and even got all
fancy by offering dabs of pesto. The sandwiches in the Frescata line up included the Frescata
Club, Roasted Turkey with pesto & Swiss, Black Forest Ham & Swiss, and Chunky Chicken Salad
Frescata. The word Frescata in Italian means fresh, the sandwiches were freshly prepared
and initially welcomed as a lower-calorie and healthier alternative to Wendy’s burgers
and fries. However, the idea never really caught on due to poor sales. The other major
glitch was that it took too long to prepare the sandwiches, and people were waiting awhile
in line to receive them. Wendy’s discontinued the sandwiches a year later.
Burger King - Burger Bundles
Burger King has had no shortage of epic food failures, none more evident than their Burger
Bundles which were released in 1987. Presented as a slider, a very small hamburger meant
obviously for massive consumption. Burger King figured they were so small, that people
would have to order two or more at a time to really get their fill. Therefore, doubling
their sales and resulting in more money in their pockets. The Burger Bundles were popular
with teens and the late-night crowd, who did not have too much money to spend after an
evening of partying. Despite their popularity, the burger bundles had their issues as well.
Preparation was tedious and difficult as they had to assemble so many more, because of their
size. The cooks also had issues with the cooking process as they would fall through the grills
on the stoves. Sometimes they were losing more patties that ended in the garbage at
the end of the night, than those that actually made it out of the kitchen and were sold. Ultimately,
the technical demands required to make them proved too much, and they were discontinued
just months after they were introduced. Greediness came back to bite them in the buns.
McDonald’s - Hula Burger
McDonald’s has also had its share of failures. It is normal for the marketing team to think
up new ideas to please its customers, following the trends of the day. But nothing was more
inane than the invention of this burger from McDonald’s. The Hula Burger was a meatless
burger introduced in the 1960s by Ray Kroc. Today meatless burgers, like Beyond Meat,
are popular because of the introduction of vegan lifestyles. This burger was invented
as a substitute for American Catholics who could not eat meat on Fridays. The burger
consisted of a slice of grilled pineapple with cheese on a bun. It was designed to go
up against the Filet-O-Fish, which was created by a Catholic McDonald's Franchisee Lou Groen.
McDonald's killed the Hula Burger early on, as it became quickly evident that its alternative,
the Filet-O-Fish, was getting much better traction.
McDonald’s - Fish McBites
McDonald’s Fish McBites were small pieces of flaky white fish dipped in batter and deep-fried
until they were golden brown and served with tartar sauce for dipping. They were offered
in three sizes; snack (10 pieces), regular (15 pieces) and shareable (30 pieces). The
Fish McBites were a welcome change and the first new addition to the Happy Meal menu
in a decade. Again, they mostly were marketed and catered to Catholics during Lent and were
specifically meant to have a short run. But Fish McBites failed to hook enough diners
to get the fast-food chain's U.S. sales any growth for one clear reason: they were marketed
to the wrong demographic. Happy Meals cater to children and not many kids like fish, even
if they look like nuggets. The launch marked the start of what McDonald's said was a bigger
pipeline of new limited-time offers. By adding more variety to its menu, the company was
hoping to fend off competition and tempt customers to eat out more. The Filet-O fish remains
a popular contender for fish during Lent, and the McBites did not really catch on. But
battered, deep-fried fish isn’t an unusual menu item, and given that Lent happens every
year, maybe these could one day return.
Pizza Hut - Bigfoot Pizza
Pizza Hut’s Bigfoot Pizza was a big thing in the ’90s, named so because of its size.
It was one of their more popular pizzas. The pizza measured 12 inches by 24 inches (or
2 square feet) and was cut into twenty-one slices. Ideal for parties, big groups, or
a very hungry family with lots of leftovers for breakfast the next morning. With the Bigfoot,
you could choose up to three toppings of your liking for under $11.00. There were all
kinds of extra promotional things surrounding the Bigfoot Pizza. In 1993, Pizza Hut put
in a free trial month of HBO or a free video rental from Blockbuster with a purchase of
the Bigfoot as a limited-time offer. There was also the "Bigfoot Big Six", which was
a variation with six different toppings and sold for the same price as the standard Bigfoot.
Throughout the ’90s, Pizza Hut offered and combined all kinds of promo stuff like free
admission to theme parks, extra pizza toppings and much more. This pizza competed with the
likes of Little Caesars' Big! Big! Cheese and the Dominator from Domino's Pizza. The Bigfoot
won over big time. So we know what you're thinking, this sounds like hit! Why is it
on our failures list? The fail is on Pizza Hut's part for retiring this beloved pizza
for no apparent reason. It was one of their more popular items, came in at a great price,
and people still clamor for its comeback to this day! Come on Pizza Hut, we love you,
make your wrong a right and bring back the Bigfoot!
McDonald’s - McDLT
Even though McDonald’s has a dominant position in the US marketplace, they still have to
attract customers. Marketing departments and research teams are constantly on the lookout
for new ways to attract customers with new and better ideas. However, not all of the
ideas can be successful all the time. But we have to give it to McDonald’s for trying.
In the ’80s, the decade of excess, McDonald’s introduced the McDLT. It was a simple idea,
nothing more than a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, packaged in a double-sided
Styrofoam container that kept “the hot side and the cold side separate”. It was the
customer’s job to put the two sides together, ensuring a balanced burger and evenly distributed
heat. It was sold on the premise that it was more appetizing this way. McDonald’s was
already facing public relations issues because of its environmental unfriendly standards
concerning too much packaging, the McDLT only emphasized their problems. The burger was
discontinued in 1990, because of the backlash it received regarding the container, which
was its signature feature. The Styrofoam containers fell out of favor because of environmental
concerns, and some stores were still serving up the cold ingredients warm anyways, defying
the whole purpose. The product was withdrawn and never made an appearance again.
Taco Bell - XXL Chalupa
Taco Bell is another fast-food chain that tries very hard with different concepts to
please their customers. In 2010, they came out with the XXL Chalupa. The XXL Chalupa
was 57% larger than the original Chalupa and contained more seasoned ground beef, crispy
lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and nacho cheese sauce, topped with sour cream all rolled
up in one big Chalupa flatbread. When Taco Bell announced the debut of its new Oversized
Chalupa the customers were ecstatic, now they could have double their favorite meal. The
chain generated an insane amount of hype among fans with a fake magazine type advertisement.
The double-stuffed fried tortilla looked pretty awesome, and over the top. The problem arose
when the customers ordered the meal but it did not look anything like the pictures. Apparently,
the restaurant was not delivering twice the amount of meat filling and toppings as promised
in their ads. Customers were very disappointed and took to the internet. The complaints were
that they were being duped into paying more for almost the same thing as a regular chalupa. The
XXL Chalupa was removed from the menu a few short months after it was launched. In 2011,
they tried to bring back a version of the large Chalupa, calling it The Double, but
it failed again. Taco Bell does not give up easily when they know they have a good thing;
they keep trying to bring this one back from the dead.
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