Buzz
To maintain its competitive edge, McDonald’s has experimented with numerous menu innovations over the years. While some items achieved remarkable success, others were doomed from the start. This compilation highlights 10 of McDonald’s most notorious flops, which either faded into obscurity or were discontinued entirely. Share your own least favorite McDonald’s creations in the comments below.
10. Mc Gratin Croquette
This unique McDonald’s burger, tailored for the Japanese market, was a spectacular failure. Its downfall could be attributed to its unconventional ingredients: deep-fried macaroni, shrimp, and mashed potatoes, all served on a bed of cabbage. The bizarre name didn’t help either. Despite its shortcomings, it occasionally resurfaces as a seasonal item in certain regions of Japan. This product earns its place on the list not for financial losses but for its sheer lack of appeal. For added entertainment, we’ve included a video of a Japanese commercial promoting this culinary misstep.
9. Hulaburger
The Hulaburger stands as one of the most infamous failures under Ray Kroc, the visionary who transformed McDonald’s into a global powerhouse. Introduced in 1963, this burger targeted Roman Catholics abstaining from meat on Fridays. It replaced the traditional beef patty with a slice of pineapple, retaining the cheese and bun. Despite its innovative approach, it was a commercial disaster, unlike the Filet-O-Fish, which was successfully promoted by a Cincinnati franchise during the same period.
8. McDLT
The McDLT (McDonald’s Lettuce and Tomato) featured a unique packaging concept. The hot components—meat and the bottom bun—were separated from the cold ingredients like lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, and sauces, stored in a dual-compartment container. Customers were expected to assemble the sandwich themselves before eating. However, the cumbersome packaging and the inconvenience of self-assembly led to its downfall. The product’s failure was further highlighted by a cringe-worthy 1980s commercial starring Jason Alexander. It later reemerged as the Big N’ Tasty, with the sandwich pre-assembled.
7. Arch Deluxe
McDonald’s marketed the Arch Deluxe as a premium burger tailored for adults, boasting a refined and mature flavor. The advertising campaign depicted children grimacing at the burger, while Ronald McDonald was shown engaging in adult pastimes like golf and billiards. Despite an investment exceeding $100 million, the Arch Deluxe failed to resonate with consumers. A Wall Street analyst remarked, “They launched one of the costliest campaigns ever, yet same-store sales declined for the quarter.” This debacle led to significant changes in McDonald’s management. [Source]
6. McLobster
Why did it fail? Primarily due to its price point. At $5.99, the McLobster was too expensive for a fast-food item that failed to satiate hunger. Its unappetizing appearance didn’t help either, resembling a messy concoction stuffed into a bun. Despite its shortcomings, the McLobster remains available in select Canadian locations and occasionally in Maine. However, lobster enthusiasts are unlikely to seek their fix at McDonald’s. Perhaps the next offerings could be McFoieGras or McCaviar.
5. McHotdog
In his 1977 autobiography, CEO Ray Kroc explicitly banned hot dogs from McDonald’s menu, deeming them unsanitary, despite potential customer interest. However, by the late 1990s, select midwestern franchises began offering hot dogs as a seasonal summer item. In the UK, hot dogs appeared on the McChoice menu (later renamed PoundSaver) during the same period. Additionally, some U.S. locations served Oscar Mayer hot dogs, while Toronto’s Metro Zoo and SkyDome outlets featured them until 1999. Tokyo stores introduced hot dogs in 2001, rebranding them as the “McHot Dog” in 2009. Despite multiple attempts to popularize the McHotdog, it has consistently failed to gain traction.
4. McPizza
In the mid-1990s, McDonald’s ventured into the pizza market, but the McPizza fell flat. The product was uninspired, much like many of McDonald’s offerings, and failed to attract pizza enthusiasts who preferred dedicated pizzerias. Franchisees were burdened with costly new ovens and expanded drive-thru windows that proved unnecessary. Despite aggressive marketing, McDonald’s couldn’t alter Americans’ pizza preferences, leading to the gradual discontinuation and eventual obscurity of the McPizza. The failure stemmed from consumers not associating McDonald’s with pizza and opting for superior alternatives. [Source]
3. McLean Deluxe
The McLean Deluxe faced two major issues: it alienated male consumers (similar to Diet Coke, which prompted the creation of Coke Zero) and its taste was subpar. McDonald’s marketed it as “low fat but tastes great,” but the reality was far from it. To reduce fat, water was added to the patty, stabilized with carrageenan—a seaweed derivative. The result was a burger with an unpleasant flavor, a niche appeal, and ultimately, a spectacular failure.
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from Wikipedia.
2. McAfrica
What could be more ill-timed than launching a McAfrica burger during a period of widespread famine in Africa? The issue wasn’t the burger’s flavor but the insensitivity of its marketing campaign. McDonald’s repeated this misstep in 2002 with the McAfrika in Norway, a pita bread sandwich filled with beef and vegetables. The backlash was immediate, forcing McDonald’s to place donation boxes for famine relief in stores selling the product. With such questionable marketing decisions, one might wonder if a McHolocaust could be next.
1. McPasta
After initial pasta trials in the South in 1989, McDonald’s expanded testing to 40 locations in Rochester, N.Y., in September 1991. The menu featured lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, and spaghetti with meatballs. In the early 1990s, a New Dinner Menu was trialed for 6–12 months in New York and Tennessee, including pasta dishes, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetable medley. However, like the McPizza, consumers showed little interest in McDonald’s pasta offerings. Recent attempts to introduce pasta meals for kids in New Zealand and Australia have also struggled, with both countries considering or already removing them due to poor sales.
