For years, McDonald’s fans have complained that the fast-food giant only releases cool menu items anywhere but in its birth country.
But there’s a reason behind this madness, which is why it continues to do so.
The fast-food chain adapts its menu in different countries based on cultural preferences or conveniently available foods that won’t hurt operational efficiency. The same goes for limited-time additions or seasonal items.
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McDonald’s has seen a sales slump over the last few quarters, which led it to invest in developing new menu items to keep up with ever-evolving trends and consumers’ needs.
Related: McDonald’s menu adds new happy meal fans will love
This led the company to introduce the new Restaurant Experience Team in March and create three new global Category Management teams to drive product innovation.
However, developing brand-new products is nearly impossible with so many chains trying to do the same, which has recently led McDonald’s to make a surprising move.
McDonald’s insists on bringing back a discontinued menu item
Although McDonald’s is known for its American fast-food, it began offering the McPizza at U.S. locations in the late 1980s. But because the preparation was too tricky and the demand was too low, it was discontinued in the 1990s.
The fast-food giant decided to give pizza one more try by launching Pizzerotti, small pizza pockets, at all its Italian locations.
However, since Italy is the mecca of pizza, this move might have been a slight miscalculation, since it was eventually removed from the menu.
Related: McDonald’s surprises fans with cryptic message
Although pizza may not have worked out at any location nationwide, McDonald’s still offers it at its largest restaurant in Orlando, Florida, which is a good fit since it is a tourist attraction.
Nonetheless, life is about trial and error, and retrying international menu items in other countries may be a savvy way to test consumers’ preferences, even if the flavors are not the usual profile.
McDonald’s teases a major pizza comeback along with other international items
McDonald’s teased fans about releasing a new menu item by making a mysterious Instagram post on its Canadian account containing an image of a notebook with the word “Classified” and the date “06-24-2025” printed on top.
Upon zooming in on the image, the words “Pizza Bites” and a picture of little pizza pockets can be partially seen.
On Tuesday, speculation about pizza returning to the McDonald’s menu came to fruition, because the company announced the release of the McPizza Bites via a social media story.
However, the fast-food giant had more surprises in store.
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- Formerly bankrupt chain restaurant makes major change to win back fans
McDonald’s also released four other international menu items, including the Biscoff McFlurry from Belgium, Teriyaki Chicken Burger from Japan, Big Rösti from Germany, and two sauces, the Garlic Mayo-Style Sauce from the UK, and Sweet Tangy Chili Dip from Australia.
The international menu items are available for a limited time at all participating McDonald’s Canada restaurants starting today.
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