Comfort food and nostalgia often go hand in hand, as menus switch to mac and cheese, s’mores desserts, and popular specialty hot coffees, but some QSRs are re-interpreting the idea of nostalgia. Rather than reinventing the wheel each time, some chains are simply bringing back old favourites, offering the opportunity for customers to re-experience a classic for a limited time, without making any changes.
Here’s a look at some of the QSRs that have recently re-introduced dishes that have been retired from the menu:
McDonald’s brought back Spicy Chicken McNuggets and Mighty Hot Sauce in select American locations in early September. “If our customers truly can’t get enough, there’s always a chance we’ll bring limited-time menu items back in the future,” a McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement after the Spicy Chicken McNuggets sold out two weeks after their original debut in 1983. Since then, the nuggets have reappeared as a menu item in 2021, 2022, and in the fall of 2023.
After hosting the “Bring It Back” bracket, a social media fan-voting tournament, Wendy’s recently brought back the Pretzel Bacon Pub Cheeseburger, based on the fan votes. The burger features a quarter pound beef patty, warm beer cheese and a slice of Muenster cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, crispy fried onions, pickles, and smoky honey mustard on a pretzel bun. The burger secured nearly 75 per cent of the votes, earning its spot back on the menu for a limited time.
While the PSL is the undisputed fan favourite on Starbucks’ fall menu, the Pecan Cortado has made a return to this year’s fall lineup that launched at the end of August. The drink features three shots of Blonde Espresso, notes of pecan, brown butter, and holiday baking spices, combined with steamed milk (often oat beverage) and finished with a pecan crunch topping. The item will remain on the menu until the holiday switchover, along with the rest of the fall menu.
Taco Bell’s Beefy Crunch Burrito has made a recent return as part of its Decades promo, highlighting classics from 2016. The burrito features seasoned beef, seasoned rice, reduced-fat sour cream, nacho cheese sauce, and Flamin’ Hot Fritos wrapped in a flour tortilla. The burrito debuted in 2010, and was quickly discontinued in 2011, returning for multiple limited time runs in 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2018 before this one. This menu item is so popular that it has its own dedicated Beefy Crunch Movement on Facebook with over 60,000 followers who were advocating for its return.
The benefit of bringing back an old favourite means that customers who loved the original will want to re-try it to see if they still like it, enjoy it again for a short time, or experience that moment of nostalgia they associate with its first run.
Image courtesy of Wendy’s.
