McDonald's Eliminating Chicken Selects, Fruit & Walnut Salad And Possibly Angus Burgers From Menu

The first such limited-time item, Fish McBites, was put onto the menu recently, and McDonald’s also plans on including another new item, the McWrap, which will contain chicken, lettuce, tomato and cucumber. The McWrap will have three accompanying sauces that customers could choose from, notes AP. The McWrap will also be larger than Snack Wraps.

Chicken Selects were introduced in 2004 while the Fruit & Walnut Salad was added to the menu in 2005. The phasing out could be due to poor sales as, according to AP, a Facebook post from a McDonald’s franchisee said, “They just did not sell well enough nationally.” That post has since been deleted.

As for Angus Third Pounders, introduced in 2009, McDonald’s is “evaluating options” and could phase out the hamburger from the menu. The move to eliminate some menu items is part of McDonald’s strategy to compete with Burger King and Wendy’s, as they have revamped their menus and marketing strategies, notes AP.

According to McDonald’s spokeswoman Dayna Proud, “As always, we are constantly evolving our menu and listening to our customers to meet their changing needs,” notes Reuters.  Consumers are also more conscientious about where they spend their money on food and may shy away from fast-food options, notes AP.

Richard Adams, a consultant for new franchisees and former McDonald’s franchisee, said to AP, “The menu at McDonald's has gotten so broad and so jumbled that nothing sells in large numbers.” The reduction in menu items could also lead to improved sales as McDonald’s can eliminate some underperforming items while also maintaining a fresh identity by introducing some limited-time items.