OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. -- McDonald’s Corp. is eliminating wraps from its menus, abandoning a signature product that was supposed to attract younger, healthy eaters.
The company began phasing out large and snack-sized wraps last summer at its more than 14,000 U.S. locations, spokesperson Lisa McComb told Bloomberg this week.
Some markets are still selling the chicken ranch version of the snack wrap, but the sandwich type has mostly vanished from the restaurant chain's menus.
The move represents a dramatic reversal for a category meant to attract the millennial demographic. Premium McWraps, introduced in 2013 after two years of development, had more veggies and fewer calories than some of the company’s signature burgers. At the time, an internal memo called the item a “Subway buster,” meaning it would help beat back competition from the sandwich chain.
Instead, the product was a headache, said the report. Wraps were time-consuming for workers to assemble and they never took off with many customers, Edward Jones analyst Jack Russo told the news agency. Snack-sized wraps, which debuted in 2006, also have largely been phased out.
“A lot of people who eat at restaurants aren’t interested in health and wellness,” he said. “You’ve got to give the people what they want.”
Wraps also were overshadowed by a more successful introduction: the U.S. rollout of all-day breakfast. McDonald’s began offering its morning menu during the rest of the day in October, and the shift contributed to a growth rebound, said the report. Two-for-$5 deals helped as well.
Since taking the helm of the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain a year ago, CEO Steve Easterbrook has been trying to simplify McDonald’s menu and speed up its kitchens. The company has axed other items, including grilled-onion cheddar burgers, the jalapeno McDouble and buffalo ranch McChicken sandwiches.
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