The ultimate lost McDonald's menu item is the beloved Snack Wrap, which is gone (at
least in some markets), but never forgotten. Where did it come from? Where has it gone?
And where can you still get one? Here's the truth about McDonald's Snack Wraps.
2006 was an awesome year for McDonald's, because that's when the marketing folks behind the
fast food giant had a bold idea. In an attempt to recognize the ever-evolving desires of
customers, the team resolved to create a product that would appeal to the health-conscious
and harried millennial.
"Ok, here you go."
"Why is this steak white? What's with this green crud? Where's my dessert?!"
According to QSR, McDonald's conducted an independent study which revealed that young
adults between 18 and 24 years old were more likely to choose McDonald's for an afternoon
pick me up than any other quick-service locale, and the Snack Wrap was the chain's answer
to, "what can we make for them?" They hoped that the Snack Wrap would succeed thanks to
its inherently low calorie count and appeal to the fast paced drive-through customer,
and the fact that it was easy to eat in the car was a definite bonus.
After some cross-country market testing, the Snack Wrap debuted officially in the United
States in the summer of 2006. The portable treat featured a soft flour tortilla that
was stuffed with one piece of crispy chicken, a Chicken Select to be exact, shredded cheddar
jack cheese, shredded lettuce, and ranch sauce.
At just 330 calories it was considered a low-calorie item for the fast food chain, even if it did
have 16 grams of fat, including 5 grams of saturated fat and 2 grams of trans fat. You
could say it was all winner, winner chicken dinner from there, at least at the time.
The Snack Wrap made its entrance with a bang, and soon proved to be a major success for
the company. According to the Wall Street Journal, the little wrap was created by a
trained Culinary Institute of America chef and not only met McDonald's projected goals,
but blew them out of the water. After just a few months, it was already looking like
the Snack Wrap was going to be one of McDonald's most successful launches in their history
as a company.
On top of it all, the Snack Wrap was relatively easy and quick for the restaurant's workers
to assemble. Since its main ingredient was a Chicken Select, which they were already
accustomed to making in high volume, it was only a natural choice to expand the Snack
Wrap offerings.
In 2007, McDonald's introduced the option to substitute the crispy chicken tender for
a piece of grilled chicken. They also added an option to replace the ranch with a tangy
honey mustard sauce. While these options were both rolled out nationally, they also played
around with some lesser-known creations in specific markets.
The chipotle barbecue Snack Wrap proved to be a winner and eventually made its nationwide
debut, but, unfortunately, other flavors proved to be less popular, and met a different fate.
"Oh, is Edwina off for a holiday?"
With success comes herds of wannabes who try to take the magic and replicate it for themselves.
In the fiercely competitive landscape of fast food, McDonald's competitors naturally took
notice of the Snack Wrap success and tried to stake their own place in the chicken wrap
game.
KFC launched its Toasted Wrap in 2008, a familiar-looking, on-the-go snack that featured a flour tortilla,
a chicken strip, lettuce, pepper mayo, and a three-cheese blend. To set themselves apart,
KFC grilled its wrap, but still, they even threw a direct shot at McDonald's in their
TV ad campaign for the wrap. KFC also went so far as to install panini-like presses in
their restaurants solely for use with this new product. While the KFC version proudly
advertised the fact that it was a dime cheaper than the McDonald's Snack Wrap, the price
and the grilling aspect may not have been enough to set it apart from its predecessor.
In 2008, Wendy's threw themselves into the ring by launching their own wrap. Dubbed the
Spicy Chicken Go Wrap, each wrap contained a half chicken breast and was available in
crispy, grilled, and a spicy variety. However, it appears that the Spicy Chicken Go Wrap
has joined the list of Wendy's menu items we'll never see again.
The Snack Wrap was really gaining momentum in the late 2000s, so McDonald's piggybacked
off that success when developing their next latest, greatest success story. Or, so they
thought.
In 2013, McDonald's launched the McWrap in the United States - these were ‘premium’
versions of the snack wrap - basically that means they were bigger. Having already been
a success in Europe, the hamburger chain debuted three flavors of the McWrap with the hope
that it would enjoy similar success in the U.S. These included Sweet Chili Chicken, Chicken
& Ranch, and Chicken & Bacon.
These premium offerings were available with grilled or crispy chicken and ran from just
over 300 calories to 600 calories, depending on which one you got. They also saw the addition
of cucumber along with the standard shredded lettuce.
Unfortunately for McDonald's, the McWrap proved that more isn’t always better. Store owners
complained that these new wraps were far too time-consuming to prepare, spelling the end
of the road for the menu item. They certainly didn’t resonate with customers the way the
original Snack Wrap did either. In 2016, America said goodbye to the McWrap.
While McDonald's was full steam ahead on the train to chicken town, they didn't forget
where they came from and honored their roots in the hamburger industry with the launch
of the Angus Snack Wrap in the summer of 2010.
Using half of a regular 100% Angus burger patty that was tucked inside a tortilla shell,
these wraps came in 3 varieties: Deluxe, Bacon & Cheese, and Mushrooms & Swiss. They featured
the same ingredients as their sandwich counterparts, but with the convenience of being portable.
The Angus Snack Wrap line was met with fairly mediocre reviews.
Also that year, McDonald's launched the Mac Snack Wrap. Similar to the Angus line, this
one featured the same ingredients that customers know and love from the Big Mac but in a less
messy, on-to-go form. This, too, was met with mixed emotions from its customers. Had the
McDonald’s faithful finally tired of the wrap?
It seems that the era of the wrap came to a screeching halt when, in 2016, McDonald's
ultimately axed the Snack Wraps from its U.S. menus.
While it had originally met with success, the bottom line is that they also added an
extra layer of complexity in an industry that strives for and thrives on streamlined simplicity.
While a classic burger takes approximately 10 seconds to assemble, it took 20 seconds
alone just to prepare the steamed tortilla of a wrap. Time is money, ultimately.
The phase-out process began in 2015 and by 2016 the Snack Wrap and its larger sibling,
the McWrap, were all but a distant memory for American McDonald's clientele. As with
any menu removal, there was backlash felt from fans. There are still multiple petitions
found on Change.org, all of which have garnered thousands of signatures, that demand the return
of their beloved Snack Wrap. Sorry, friends, McDonald's menu remains Snack Wrap free — in
the US, at least… in spite of efforts to bring them back.
"A million dollars."
"Little under."
"A little under."
So, here's the scoop. If you absolutely must satisfy that craving, you're going to have
to gather your cold weather belongings because you'll be headed straight across the border
to Canada. Oh, Canada. We are so there, at least when it comes to chasing after Snack
Wraps.
McDonald's of Canada is bringing this full circle by offering the O.G. According to McDonald's
Canada, the Ranch Chicken Snack wrap, available with crispy or grilled chicken, is still currently
on menus nationwide in Canada. They also offer larger size McWraps, available in Caesar Chicken
or Chicken & Bacon. I'm Lovin' it. You're Lovin' It. We're all Lovin' It. eh [ay]?
It may be a trip worth taking because, while you're there, there are some pretty unique
offerings coming from our friendly neighbors to the north. If you thought McDonald's fries
were toast of the town on their own, think again. The only thing better than their world-famous
fries is when you can eat said fries topped with cheese curds and a rich gravy. That's
right. McDonald's Canada sells poutine, which is basically the ultimate late night — or,
really, any time of the day — munchie. You're probably drooling now and for good reason.
"It is now a scientific fact that you are hungry. Bagel?"
"Don't mind if I do!"
If you find yourself heading across the pond, you'll likely have a laundry list of British
delicacies you're dying to try. But alongside your fish & chips or shepherd's pie, you may
want to throw in a visit to, yes, McDonald's. In the U.K., they serve up the standard burger
and fries we've come to expect from the chain, but they also throw in a few items that are
exclusive to their abroad locations. Fancy a Maltesers McFlurry? How about some Cheddar
Melts and Katsu Curry Chicken McNuggets? Heck yes.
Their menu also happens to include wraps. Served full size like the McWrap but dropping
the 'Mc' from its title, McDonald's U.K. and Ireland both serve a line of wraps including
sweet chili chicken, BBQ, and bacon chicken, as well as a vegetarian version. The spicy
veggie features tasty veggie dippers, which are a blend of chopped red peppers and sundried
tomato pesto coated and fried in crispy breadcrumbs, that are tossed with spicy relish, lettuce,
and tomato. This one also happens to be certified vegan, according to McDonald's.
A classic full English breakfast is an absolute must-eat for any foodie visitor to Britain.
But have you heard of the McDonald's wrap that has caused quite a stir over the past
year? The breakfast wrap was a fixture on the McDonald's morning menu that also happened
to be a major hot seller and people pleaser. Complete with a potato rosti (what we know
over in the United States as a hash brown) stuffed inside it, this soft tortilla wrap
was also filled with a pork sausage patty, free-range egg, cheese, and bacon. You could
top it off with your choice of ketchup or brown sauce, another popular condiment in
the United Kingdom with a unique flavor of tomatoes, vinegar, and molasses.
Fans were up in arms when McDonald's downsized its menu in an attempt to stay afloat during
the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result of this effort, both the breakfast wrap and bagel hit the chopping block, much
to the chagrin of its devotees. Instead, McDonald's added the Breakfast Roll to its morning offerings
leaving customers to speculate on whether they will see their long-awaited return of
the breakfast wrap come to fruition. You might as well grab some popcorn as we wait and see
how this one plays out across the pond.
It's easy to feel a tinge of jealousy as an American when looking at all that there is
to offer on the McDonald's international menus. While we've been privy to some cultural trends
over here in the United States, much has been left up to our imagination. That jealousy
hasn't been spared when it comes down to the unique offerings that McDonald's Asia has
to offer, and we'd honestly consider giving up all our airline miles for one bite of a
Filet O'Shrimp or a presumably delicious — and brilliantly colored — McFloat Melon. Plus,
we're still wondering whether or not the Teriyaki Chicken Filet-O could possibly be as good
as it sounds… and we're guessing that's a "yes."
McDonald's locations in Asia also got creative with totally unique and exclusive regional
versions of the Snack Wrap that we sadly doubt would ever see the light of day in places
like the United States. We're particularly envious of the Spicy Paneer Wrap that landed
in McDonald's throughout India. Paneer, a popular cheese in Southern Asia, is fried
and then topped with more cheese in this wrap. Healthy? No, not at all. Still, as a cheese-heavy
vegetarian treat, we'd like to try it at least once.
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