Important points
Fast-food giants McDonald’s (MCD) and Taco Bell are using nostalgia to win back customers they may have lost to recent inflation.
Earlier this month, McDonald’s announced the return of its Snack Wrap, which was sold nationwide from 2006 to 2016, becoming the latest product to bring back an old product. The fast food giant confirmed that the wraps will be back next year, but did not provide specific dates.
The announcement follows the company’s move earlier this month to bring back the McRib for occasional availability, as well as similar moves by other fast food companies in recent months.
In October, Yum! Brands (YUM) Taco Bell has launched its “Decade” menu, which brings back one menu item from each decade for a limited time, from the chain’s launch in the 1960s to the 2000s. And last month, Burger King, owned by Restaurant Brands International (QSR), reintroduced Cini Minis, miniature cinnamon rolls that disappeared from menus in 2012, but are now available in just two markets in Florida. .
Social media often plays a role in reviving old menu items. Arby’s parent company Inspire Brands announced earlier this year that “potato cake” had been mentioned 10,000 times on social media since discontinuing hash browns in 2021. Arby’s named actor Kyle MacLachlan the leader of the “Potato Cake Cult” and launched the product line. A limited number of items when the side dish briefly returned to the menu in July.
Of course, as some people revisit their favorite dishes, others are still looking for their fix. McDonald’s snack wrap announcement was met with calls on social media for the return of fried apple pie, mac salad shakers and extra-large fries.
Nostalgia is powerful, but people can also be disappointed.
Restaurants could risk a reboot falling short of public expectations. “The problem is that people’s memories are fallible and not perfect, so we’re disappointed when manufacturers bring back old packaging or old products. It’s not exactly what we remember. Because they’re not the same,” says professor Christine Baccio. in psychology from Syracuse University, he told marketing firm Quickly.
Research shows that people talk more about the past than the present or future, and often think that the past was better than the present. That feeling can be especially strong with fast food, where experts say people tend to associate fast food with childhood memories, a connection the industry has cultivated for decades. , think of a “Happy Meal” complete with toys and packaging that returns with a smile.
Nostalgia for fast food has also influenced people in fine dining restaurants. Los Angeles pop-up restaurant Chain specializes in upscale reproductions of popular fast food favorites. As of April, there were 25,000 names on the waiting list for the chain event, according to the New York Times.