Why Old Fast-Food Dishes Keep Coming Back | Global News Avenue

Fast food giant McDonald’s (MCD), Taco Bell and others are tapping into nostalgia to win back customers lost to inflation in recent years.

Earlier this month, McDonald’s became the latest restaurant to bring back an old product, announcing the return of snack wraps that were sold nationwide between 2006 and 2016. The fast-food giant confirmed that the snack wrap will return next year, but did not provide specific details. date.

The announcement comes as the company moves to restore its occasional availability McRib earlier this month–Other fast-food companies have made similar moves in recent months.

October, yum! brand'(Yum Brands) Taco Bell has launched a “decade” menu, featuring an item for each decade since the chain’s launch in the 1960s, and offering it for a limited time until the 2000s. Burger King is part of Restaurant Brands International (Quick response), which last month relaunched Cini Minis, miniature cinnamon rolls that had been off the menu since 2012 but were initially available in only two markets in Florida.

Social media often plays a role in reviving old menu items. Inspire Brands, Arby’s parent company, said earlier this year that “hash browns” have been mentioned 10,000 times on social media since it stopped making them in 2021. Arby’s names actor Kyle MacLachlan as leader of “hash brown orders” and launches a line of limited-edition items when the side dish temporarily returns to the menu in July.

Of course, for everyone who’s enjoying their favorite dish again, there’s another who’s still looking for their own solution. On social media, people responded to the announcement about McDonald’s snack packaging, calling for the return of deep-fried apple pies, McSalad shakers and extra-large fries.

Nostalgia is powerful, but people can be disappointed

Restaurants may be at risk of failing to live up to public expectations upon reopening. “The problem is that people’s memories are fallible; they’re not perfect. So when manufacturers bring back old packaging or old items, we’re disappointed because it’s not the same as we remember it,” says professor Krystine Batcho of Snow City University psychology professor told marketing company Quikly.

Research shows that people tend to talk more about the past than about the present or future, and often believe that the past was better than the present. This feeling is especially strong in fast food, which experts say people tend to associate with childhood memories, a connection the industry has worked hard to cultivate for decades — think “Happy Meals,” complete with toys and packaging , smile at you.

Fast-food nostalgia even fuels enthusiasm among the foodie crowd. Chain is a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles that specializes in upscale entertainment with fast-food fare. According to statistics, as of April, the waiting list to participate in chain activities has reached 25,000. new york times.