What happens when McDonald's makes a burger with fruit instead of meat? Or when A&W
makes us learn about fractions? Simply put, you get these fast food failures.
McDonald's is one of the most successful fast-food franchises ever. It's on every
continent except Antarctica, and its simple logo represents reliable quality. But the
chain doesn't just sit on its laurels, as it continually tries to improve its
offerings with innovative menu items. But sometimes, originality comes at a high price.
In 1996, the Arch Deluxe was introduced to appeal to a "grown-up" taste. It was a classy
burger that included a beef patty served on a potato roll along with peppery bacon,
tomato, lettuce, and a mustard-mayo sauce made with stone ground mustard.
That sounds tasty, but alas, there were some problems with the promotion. The Arch Deluxe
was catering to the sophisticated crowd, but people generally don't
go to McDonald's for classy and refined meals. The ad campaign to attract their
target consumers was also one of the most expensive marketing campaigns to that day.
The New York Times reported that the company spent around $200 million on advertising.
"I made it for you."
In 2002, McDonald's released a new burger that was supposed to be inspired by African
cuisine and tradition, and the genius idea was to call it the "McAfrika." Alas,
it was the victim of some terribly bad timing. When the burger was released, several African
countries were fighting severe famine. So one of the biggest fast food franchises on the
planet introducing a burger named "McAfrika" was understandably viewed as distasteful.
The McAfrika was actually created just for the Scandinavian market. It consisted of a
pita-like bread filled with a beef patty, cheese, salad, and tomato. Based on the ingredients,
it might not have been such a failure, but marketing experts should've known better.
A&W's 1/3-pound burger was introduced in the 1980s. It was a fantastic combination
of a sesame bun stacked with a beef patty and topped with cheese, crispy lettuce,
ripe tomatoes, and pickles, with the optional topping of
crispy bacon. There was a big marketing push, but pretty much nobody bought it.
When A&W investigated what happened, the conclusion was that many people apparently
couldn't work out the math. The 1/3-pound burger was a rival to McDonald's Quarter
Pounder, so named because the patty used a quarter of a pound of meat. A&W opted for
a slightly bigger patty with a third of a pound of beef. The price was the same,
but some people don't know their fractions, so they thought one-third was less than one-quarter.
A&W ultimately didn't entirely dismiss this idea completely, as they now offer the 3/9 replacement,
a concoction with the same ingredients and a hopefully more understandable name.
"Introducing the A&W 3/9 burger. It's bigger, genius."
In 2010, Friendly's shocked the nation by introducing their Grilled Cheese Burger Melt. This
decadent dish featured a beef burger patty nestled between two grilled cheese sandwiches that took
over the role of the burger bun. It reportedly contained a shocking 1,500 calories, which
caused quite a stir among customers and a lot of negative press by concerned health advocates.
Company representatives argued that Friendly's at least offers many other healthier options.
Despite Friendly's initial support for this monster sandwich, it didn't last very long,
as it was soon pulled from the menu. The reason for the downfall isn't exactly
clear. Maybe this combination simply didn't sit well with their customers. Sometimes,
classics such as burgers and grilled cheese just shouldn't be messed with.
You've probably seen Angus steaks and burgers that have been promoted as superior,
premium varieties. The term refers to Scottish Angus cattle, a sturdy
and muscular breed that produces marbled meat famous for its juiciness and tender texture.
Angus gained international fame when McDonald's first used it for its classic burger patties.
They were initially a part of the Australian franchise, and they were soon introduced in
other countries as well, including the United States. In 2009, the decision was made to sell it
in all American McDonald's restaurants. The idea was to offer top quality for 4 dollars apiece,
which was far more affordable than other Angus burgers in steakhouses and sit-down burger joints.
Unfortunately, this experiment wasn't very successful and was discontinued
from the menu in 2013. The decision was made after the cost of beef skyrocketed,
and McDonald's decided to look for cheaper meat cuts.
McDonald's Hula burger consisted of a grilled pineapple slice topped with cheese and served
inside a classic bun. That combination doesn't exactly sound tempting, and unsurprisingly,
it wasn't a big hit among customers. It was actually created by none other than Ray Kroc,
who purchased McDonald's in 1961 and is generally credited with the chain's global
expansion. The Hula didn't have a long run, and it went down in history as one
of the worst McDonald's burger failures, if you even want to call it a burger.
It was originally invented to compete with the Filet-O-Fish. As the story goes,
Lou Groen, who was running the first McDonald's in Cincinnati, noticed that his sales plummeted
on Fridays. Most people in the area were Catholics and would refrain from eating meat that day of the
week. So to boost sales, Groen came up with a fish sandwich that he later presented to Kroc
as a meatless option. But Kroc had something else in mind and thought of the Hula burger as
another better alternative. The deal was to offer it simultaneously and see which performed better.
Reportedly, only six Hula burgers were sold that day,
while Groen sold 350 fish sandwiches! In short, the tropical Hula was never resurrected.
Burger King's sliders were introduced on several occasions and in different variations,
but none proved particularly successful. The original BK sliders were the Burger Bundles, which
were introduced in 1987. They consisted of three mini burgers that could be enjoyed as a single
portion or as a shared meal. It was a limited offer that never made it to the standard menu.
Next came the Burger Buddies in 1989. These mini cheeseburgers came in pairs
with an attached patty that could be broken in two. The slider was again resurrected as
a Burger Shot and Breakfast Burger Shot. The latter was a breakfast variation with ham,
sausage, or bacon topped with cheese and served in a bun.
What killed these mini burgers was their diminutive size, as the patties reportedly
slipped through broiler grills. It was also a painstaking process to assemble them,
as they had to include all the ingredients of a Whopper. And customers could customize
their orders, which meant that each burger in the pack could be made with different add-ons,
making the preparation even longer and more complicated.
McDonald's McDLT ultimately fell victim to some unusual packaging. Introduced in 1984,
it consisted of a beef patty served on a steamed bun and topped with cheese,
lettuce, and tomato. As for the packaging,
McDonald's had an idea to separate the hot element of beef from the colder ingredients.
"Could be the best-tasting lettuce and tomato hamburger, ever!"
To make it happen, the burger was served inside a specially designed polystyrene
container that had two separate sections. One held the bottom bun and the beef patty,
while the other had the top half of the bun, along with the lettuce, tomato,
and cheese. The customer would combine the two and then enjoy the hot patty with the crisp and
fresh veggies. But this seemingly brilliant plan backfired, mainly due to environmental concerns.
Polystyrene is excellent at retaining heat, allowing both sides to hold the temperature,
but it's not exactly environmentally friendly. The burger was sold until the early 90s,
when it was discontinued from all locations.
"Say, Guillermo! Is that a Jack in the Box Mini Sirloin Burger?
The offer of a mini burger can be difficult to resist. Having a smaller version of your
favorite juicy patty means that you can always have one more. They also generally tend to be
more convenient as they're easily shared and can be devoured in no time. But the mini burgers that
were once sold at Jack in the Box were a rational experiment that ended up going oh so wrong.
Introduced in 2009, the order consisted of three burgers with sirloin-based patties, American
cheese, and grilled onions. It was topped with ketchup and served on a tiny bun that resembled
a Hawaiian bread roll. Despite a reasonable price of $3.89 and delicious ingredients,
the mini sirloin burgers were soon pulled from the menu during an extensive revamp in 2011.
Jack in the Box has never publicly revealed why it discontinued them,
but based on some reviews, they may just simply have not been good enough. One take
at Burger Conquest described the bun as dry and declared that the burgers generally lacked flavor.
The McLean never stood a chance. It was launched in 1991 as a part of McDonald's Deluxe line that
also included the failed Arch Deluxe. This was at a time when full-fat products were
suffering from a bad reputation, so the McLean was an effort to jump on the fat-free trend.
It was supposed to be a healthier option that would still provide classic flavors,
but with less fat and sodium. It was marketed as being "91% fat free" and used carrageenan,
a type of red seaweed, and water to bind the meat together.
"No one remembers 91."
As it turned out, though, healthier didn't exactly mean better. As the Wall Street
Journal noted in 1993, the McLean was dubbed a "McFlopper," as it just didn't
sell. According to a review on The Impulsive Buy, the patty was dry and lacked flavor,
which couldn't be overcome with sauces and veggies. It was finally discontinued in 1996.
McDonald's rarely misses the chance to keep up with the current trends. But with plant-based
burgers, the company might have arrived late in the game, and when it finally did,
the results were slightly disappointing. The first plant-based burgers were tested in 2021
as a limited offer at eight locations in the U.S. They were created with Beyond Meat patties,
and the campaign was expanded in February 2022 to an additional 600 restaurants. Since then,
the company hasn't made any new announcements, and the McPlant is currently not available in the U.S.
It's not exactly clear what happened, but the McPlant reportedly didn't sell as expected during
the testing period. So for now, the future of the McPlant burger in the U.S. is uncertain.
However, it is still available in several international outposts, including Canada,
where it's called the P.L.T. It includes the Beyond Meat patty, topped with lettuce, tomato,
pickles, condiments, and cheddar cheese. However, it's worth noting to vegans and vegetarians that
McDonald's emphasizes that the burgers are not cooked on separate grills and may come
in contact with its traditional meat-based burgers, other meat products, and eggs.
"Oh, God. Vegan?! No, thank you."
"You just said it was nice."
"You just said you enjoyed it!"
In 2022, Arby's announced that it would launch a new item in the form of a deluxe burger made
with the prized Wagyu beef. The news came as a bit of a shock, as the franchise is famous
for its roast beef specialties, and it never had any burgers included in its standard or limited
offers. What ensued was probably the worst thing a fast food company can experience, as this burger
that was touted as exclusive, delicious, and premium ended up being a total flop.
The reviews were especially discouraging. The Washington Post didn't like the texture
and described the patty as "gummy," while the Houston Chronicle noted that the meat
was overshadowed by strong flavors from pickles and Arby's burger sauce.
And Business Insider questioned the mere existence of the burger
in a franchise that isn't equipped and experienced enough to prepare burgers.
The regular version of the Wagyu Burger sold at $6.99, while the Bacon Ranch was offered at $7.99,
which is a bit steep for a fast food burger. It was eventually taken off the menu,
and Arby's hasn't made any recent announcements about its fate. Based
on the reviews, it would be surprising if it ever makes any sort of comeback.