8 Fast Food Flops and 8 Iconic Hits That Dominate the Menu
Global Marketing and Finance Review estimates that the fast food market will grow to reach at least $931.7 billion by 2027. However, with each successful menu offering that rakes in millions of dollars a year, there is a small yet notable smattering of epic fails that have collected dust in the crannies of food history.
In response to experiments that are questionable, scandalous, and memorable, fast-food chains have faced a range of choices, from sticking to their original approach to making rapid changes at various times.
But here’s the question: What separates a crispy, golden hit from a soggy, unappetizing flop? Come along with me for a nibble bite of the eight greatest fast-food success stories ever, and the eight, uh, well, less-fortunate moments in culinary innovation. Ready, read on!
McDonald’s McPlant Burger
McDonald’s chose to embrace the trend of plant-based with its McPlant Burger, a collaboration with Beyond Meat, which was intended to be a game changer. However, it failed. By 2022, McDonald’s discontinued the McPlant in the U.S. due to lackluster sales and limited consumer interest.
Rather than being a star in a crowded field of competing alternative proteins alongside Impossible and Beyond, it failed and was removed from American menus. It is not enough to ride a trend. You have to provide a flavor that people will need more of.
Pizza Hut’s Virtual Reality Menu
Being tech-savvy is not always being crowd-friendly, and Pizza Hut had experienced it the hard way. It attempted to implement a VR-enabled menu, but it was too gimmicky rather than being useful.
There was no thrill in buying pizza in the metaverse when all they wanted was to have it delivered to their door. Despite the buzz, the campaign highlighted a growing truth in digital branding: just because you can go virtual doesn’t mean your customers want to.
Starbucks’ Oleato Coffee
Coffee and olive oil!? Indeed, Starbucks attempted to add a so-called trendy Mediterranean touch to its menu by launching the Oleato line. The concept aimed to bring a velvety richness to coffee, but customers felt it left their drinks tasting odd (or worse, greasy).
“It is clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers,” newly installed chief executive Brian Niccol told investors, as Sales quickly dipped. Proving not all innovations work, even for adventurous brands, when they distance themselves too much from the customer.
Taco Bell’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich Taco
Taco Bell could not avoid the chicken sandwich wars. They were released nationwide on September 2, 2021, a taco-esque riff on the trend, but the product was hard to comprehend: was it a taco or a sandwich? However, its ambiguous identity, as a taco, a sandwich, or both, led to confusion among customers.
They were not innovative- instead, they appeared gimmicky and were poorly executed. The consumers adore innovations, but they demand clarity. An unclear product is as muddy as it is exciting.
Arby’s Diablo Dare Sandwich
Arby’s tried to turn up the heat with the Diablo Dare Sandwich, marketed as one of the spiciest fast-food items ever, as noted by USA Today. It also had a free milkshake accompaniment to cool them down, but the sandwich itself failed to impress customers.
On the one hand, it was very spicy, but on the other hand, it lacked richness in flavor. It turned out to be a gimmick rather than a good meal for customers, and soon diners found it off the menus.
Burger King’s Ghost Pepper Nuggets
Ghost Pepper Nuggets from Burger King were hyped as spicy, but that was nothing more than false advertising. And the heat that should have been the star was not the centre of attention, as customer feedback was tepid, with people saying that there was nothing much to write home about in the promised kick.
It didn’t take long for this spicy idea to cool into obscurity. Customers expect bold flavors to deliver on their promises. A missed punch equals a missed opportunity.
Subway’s Fresh Melts
Subway rolled out Fresh Melts, launched nationwide in spring 2021, with the intention of elevating its submarine sandwiches by adding extra cheese and gooeyness. The idea wasn’t bad on paper, but poorly executed melts led to operational headaches and disappointed diners.
Franchise owners pushed back, and customers ultimately shrugged their shoulders. Even simple ideas need solid execution, especially when adding complexity to operations
Heinz EZ Squirt Ketchup
In 2021, Heinz revived its colorful EZ Squirt Ketchup as a nostalgic throwback, allowing people to rekindle fond memories of this eccentric formula. However, the innovation didn’t last long, and customers were not as eager to buy green and purple ketchup as they were in the early 2000s.
There was an excessive use of nostalgia, as the product offered nothing new or practical. This was momentarily entertaining, but lacked lasting appeal.
Popeyes Chicken Sandwich
There could be no product that has generated more hysteria in the fast food industry than the Popeyes chicken sandwich. When it first debuted in 2019, viral tweets created infinite queues, sold out everywhere, and even ran out of sandwiches in some stores.
Forbes called it “the fast food phenomenon of 2019“, noting it “hit the restaurant world like an asteroid.” Not only did it deliver a strong taste, but it also prompted other players to do the same with their chicken.
This sandwich was all the things–crispy breading, juicy chicken, and the buzz that FOMO created before. And then, no one can forget the free hype on social media.
McDonald’s Grimace Birthday Meal
The nostalgia-tinged purple milkshake (known to the world as Grimace) even took over the internet when McDonald’s celebrated the purple character on his birthday. The unusual campaign amassed millions of posts and memes, demonstrating that with the help of simplicity and personality, one can achieve great success.
Grimace was an overnight viral celebrity, having been a once-forgotten mascot. Merging elements of effective marketing with a limited-edition appeal, this meal became an unstoppable social media phenomenon.
Wendy’s French Toast Sticks
Wendy had not been able to establish itself in the competitive breakfast scene. Still, French Toast Sticks turned the breakfast scene upside down. Tasty, easy to share, and full of nostalgic goodness, they became the number one selling breakfast food at the brand.
“We launched French Toast Sticks, our first major menu innovation in the U.S., which drove a meaningful acceleration in U.S. breakfast sales over the course of the quarter,” says Todd Penegor, Wendy’s CEO and president.
The flavor was not the only reason behind its success; it was also due to timing. Wendy jumped in front of the snackable cravings in a society of hurry-up breakfasts. It struck the perfect balance between comfort food and convenience.
Chick-fil-A’s Chicken Breakfast Burrito
When everyone is fighting to get chicken sandwiches around lunchtime, Chick-fil-A silently took over the breakfast market with its chicken burrito. It is an excellent combination of protein and flavor, as it is full of eggs, cheese, and hot chicken, making mornings much better.
According to Statista, Chick-fil-A accounted for system-wide sales of $18.8 billion in 2022. Chick-fil-A knows that its chicken is king, and mixing it with breakfast foods was another winning recipe for its habitual fans.
Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza Return
In 2020, Taco Bell removed the Mexican Pizza from its menu, prompting a backlash from fans. Social media campaigns once collected signatures pleading with it to be brought back, and Taco Bell has.
CNN highlights that its 2022 comeback broke records, with demand seven times higher, and even one customer reportedly ordered 180 pizzas at once. The Mexican Pizza issued a call to nostalgia and customer loyalty, so its loss was an opportunity to strengthen customer bonds.
KFC’s Beyond Fried Chicken
KFC partnered with Beyond Meat to create a lifelike fried chicken product made from plant-based ingredients that mimicked the taste and texture of the original recipe. Its launch was successful, as it attracted both vegans and meat-eaters who wanted to see what it was like.
They did not compromise their brand by introducing the same crispy, tasty coating that people adore, and it catered to the growing demand for plant-based products. Based on a Forbes report the market is projected to grow to $162 billion by 2030.
McDonald’s Happy Meal Collaborations
McDonald’s has taken its Happy Meal to a new level by partnering with big brands like Pokémon and Disney. The partnerships introduced unique toys and collectibles that both children and reminiscing adults found irresistible, and they kept buying them in record numbers.
By tapping into pop culture and nostalgia, McDonald’s turned a simple meal into a must-have experience for fans of all ages.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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