The past 12 months have proven to be a year of transition for many restaurant and grocery brands. While such new treats as McDonald’s Grimace Shake, Costco’s lemon meringue cheesecake debuted on menus and in store aisles in 2023, some items were forced to hit the old dusty trail, which often sent fans on social media into despair.
Snack brands and fast-food companies regularly streamline their product lineups due to customer demand (or lack thereof) to maximize efficiency — which unfortunately means, sometimes, food-based casualties.
Many of these dearly departed foods still have devoted fan bases, with folks even starting petitions and launching social media campaigns in the hopes of their favorite snacks returning to them someday.
Ronzoni Pastina
In January, pasta maker Ronzoni dropped a star-shaped bomb when it announced on social media that it would be discontinuing its pastina.
According to Ronzoni, the five-pointed fan favorite was the smallest shape the company made, and a long-term supplier informed the brand that it would no longer be able to make it.
“We searched extensively for an alternative solution but were unable to identify a viable option to make Pastina in the same beloved small shape, size and standards you have come to expect from Ronzoni,” read a Ronzoni Instagram post at the time. “As a result, we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue this product.”
In the time since, folks have started multiple petitions to bring the pasta shape back, as well as bought up the remaining supply in stores. Some of those hauls even made it to online resale sites, with one 24-pack of Ronzoni Pastina selling for $219 (plus shipping) on eBay.
KFC Wings, Popcorn Chicken and more
In February, Kentucky Fried Chicken announced it was nixing five items from its menu: wings, popcorn chicken, Nashville hot sauce, strawberry lemonade and chocolate chip cookies.
“We took a deep look at the mix of the menu to see where consolidation would make sense, and we rolled out new menu boards in November 2022,” Wilson told TODAY.com at the time. “Though we are removing a few items, it will allow us to make room for some new, exciting additions to the menu in 2023.”
But there was a tortilla-wrapped silver lining: the return of KFC Wraps.
Dunkin’ Dunkaccino
In March, Dunkin’ confirmed to TODAY.com that it officially retired the Dunkaccino (in both hot and frozen forms), the chain’s beloved blend of coffee and hot chocolate which was first introduced in 2000.
“As we focus on innovation and finding new ways to delight guests, we continually evolve our menu in an effort to deliver a fast, frictionless experience,” a Dunkin’ spokesperson told TODAY.com at the time. “The Dunkaccino is retired for now, but there’s always the chance for its return in the future.”
Fans of the beverage said it was a “sad day” and called it a “bad decision.” But one TikToker offered a menu hack to serve as an alternative to the drink — a hot chocolate with a shot of espresso.
“It tastes just as delicious, you get your caffeine, you get your chocolate, bada bing bada boom,” the TikToker said.
Jalapeño Pringles
In March, Pringles confirmed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Jalapeño Pringles had been discontinued earlier in the year, after a nervous fan asked the official Pringles account.
When reached for comment, the Kellogg-owned company emphasized to TODAY.com that it still sells plenty of spicy snacks.
“Creating insanely accurate fiery flavors continues to be a priority for Pringles as we know our fans love spicy snacks,” Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, told TODAY.com at the time. “While Pringles Jalapeño has been discontinued, snacking fans can continue to enjoy our expansive Scorchin’ lineup with a variety of fiery flavors.”
Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Also in March, Wendy’s confirmed to TODAY.com that it discontinued its Grilled Chicken Sandwich, which was first introduced in 1990. The move was meant to make way for the chain’s new Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap.
The Grilled Chicken Sandwich, which featured an herb-marinated grilled chicken breast topped with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato on a toasted bun, had developed a devoted fanbase in its 33 years of existence. One fan shared the exact moment she found out about its discontinuation on X, asking Wendy’s, “why did you betray me like this?”
Starbucks’ Raspberry Flavored Syrup
March was a big month for discontinuations. At the end of it, Starbucks announced it was axing its signature raspberry syrup.
“As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate the ingredients in our stores, and have decided to discontinue raspberry syrup,” a Starbucks spokesperson told TODAY.com at the time. “Customers can expect limited inventory at stores throughout March as we remove it from our menu.”
This particular product inspired a TikTok trend: The hashtag #raspberrysyrup was taken over by videos showing montages of the drink, sad Starbucks fans and others that managed to snag an entire bottle of the stuff before the chain quit selling it for good.
Taco Bell’s Quesarito
In April, the Quesarito left Taco Bell’s menu for good. The dish, which was a mix between a quesadilla and a burrito, featured a quesadilla rolled and filled with seasoned beef, creamy chipotle sauce, sour cream, nacho cheese sauce and seasoned rice.
The item, like many of Taco Bell’s retired dishes, has been missed by its fans, with one recently tweeting, “Thinking about her.”
Maple Cheerios
In May, Cheerios confirmed that its fan-favorite Maple flavor had been discontinued after a Twitter user posed the question to the General Mills-owned cereal brand.
“Yes, Maple Cheerios have been discontinued,” tweeted Cheerios at the time. “We’ll let our team know you’re missing them!”
The news was met with despair from many fans of the sweetly sapped cereal. One, “who couldn’t wait til fall to get some,” even claimed it was Cheerios’ “best flavor.”
Dairy Queen’s Cherry Dipped Cones
In May, Dairy Queen confirmed that it was discontinuing its Cherry Dipped Cone after the TikTok account for a Dairy Queen location in Shelby Township, Michigan (@dqshelbytwpmi) posted a video about how the flavor was no longer being sold at the DQ warehouse that branch stocks from.
“At this time, the Cherry Dipped Cone at Dairy Queen is being discontinued,” a Dairy Queen spokesperson told TODAY.com at the time. “That said, DQ is always rotating our dipped cone flavors and Cherry Dipped Cones may return in the future. Fans should check with their local DQ restaurant to learn which flavors are available.”
Fans of the dipped delicacy were understandably apoplectic, and one family even started a Change.org petition to bring the flavor back.
Good Humor Toasted Almond
Good Humor’s Toasted Almond left ice cream trucks and freezer sections for good back in June of this year. The treat, which has been around for over 60 years and was relaunched in 1992, featured an almond core surrounded by vanilla ice cream and was coated in almond-flavored crunchy bits, and was fiercely mourned by many folks on social media.
The ice cream bar was a childhood favorite of TODAY.com’s senior food editor Emi Boscamp, who found the Toasted Almond’s discontinuation “devastating,” as well as her father, who remarked that the sweet’s departure was a “dark day in my life.”
McDonald’s McCafé Bakery
In July, McDonald’s confirmed to TODAY.com that it would be ending the McCafé Bakery it launched at the start of the pandemic. The category’s three offerings, the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll, have since phased out of the chain’s sweet slate for good.
“We’re always listening to our fans and adjusting our menu based on what they crave. Starting this month, we’ll be phasing out our McCafé Bakery line-up, including the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin and Cinnamon Roll,” McDonald’s USA told TODAY.com in an emailed statement at the time. “We know goodbyes are never easy — but fans can still satisfy their sweet tooth with our iconic Chocolate Chip Cookies, Baked Apple Pie and frozen desserts at restaurants nationwide.”
The Apple Fritter’s departure, in particular, upset fans, with one tweeting not at all dramatically, “someone please wake me up from this nightmare!!!!”
Peach Cobbler Pop-Tarts
In July, Pop-Tarts confirmed to TODAY.com that its Peach Cobbler flavor was quietly discontinued, after tweeting the sad news on Twitter in late June. The discontinuation proved to be a surprise to many toaster pastry lovers, even though the brand had made the move more than a year before most of the internet noticed it was gone.
“Peach Cobbler Pop-Tarts were discontinued in February 2022,” a Kellogg spokesperson told TODAY.com at the time. The spokesperson added that there were other fruity flavors that could maybe fill the Peach Cobbler-sized hole in peoples’ hearts. Since the summer, Pop-Tarts brought back Strawberry Milkshake, another previously discontinued flavor.
Publix’s Hurricane Cakes
Publix, a grocery chain found in the Southeast, used to make cakes decorated with icing depicting radar maps of hurricanes and tropical storms with phrases like “Leave Florida alone” or “Go away Dorian.” For as long as the cakes have been spotted, they have received mixed reactions on social media.
In August, the grocery chain confirmed to TODAY.com that it would no longer be making these cakes, stating that they go against its policy.
Maria Brous, director of communications at Publix, said in a statement to TODAY.com at the time that the company’s associates “make every effort to support” its customers “during weather events” which has included “finding ways to delight them with their favorite Publix items as they prepare for uncertainty.”
“For these requests in particular, it is our company policy to not produce bakery cakes that would make light of a natural disaster,” Brous said.
Online, customers showed disappointment in the chain’s decision, with one fan calling the move “lame and anti-fun.”
Raspberry Rally Girl Scout Cookies
In October, the Girl Scouts of the USA first confirmed to TODAY.com that it would no longer be offering its Raspberry Rally cookies for the upcoming Girl Scout cookie season (January through April 2024).
“Last year, Raspberry Rally cookies were introduced as part of a pilot online-only sales strategy,” a Girl Scouts spokesperson told TODAY.com at the time. “This was a fun and new way to teach girls omnichannel business skills and expand our cookie portfolio by introducing an exciting new flavor profile to the Girl Scout Cookie Program.
“While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are taking a pause this season to prioritize supplying our classic varieties.”
The Raspberry Rally flavor was so popular when it came out that after it sold out, boxes were being resold on sites like eBay for black market-like prices.
McDonald’s McFlurry Spoons
OK, so this one isn’t technically food, but rather a vehicle for food, which makes it equally as important. In late October, McDonald’s announced it would officially be phasing out its most iconic utensil — the McFlurry spoon.
McDonald’s said that the spoon, which doubled as a spindle and many confused for an oddly shaped straw, was used to attach to a machine that stirs McFlurry toppings into its soft serve. But, citing sustainability efforts, McDonald’s said it would be swapping the squarish utensil for a reusable spindle that can be cleaned after each McFlurry is made. The chain’s everyday spoons will be the tool of choice for the icy treat from now on.
