Discontinued Food Items That Caused Outrage With Fans

We've all been there. You're walking down the snack aisle looking for your favorite cavity inducer when your eyebrow twitches as you realize it's no longer on the shelf where it's supposed to be. You pout a little, but innocently think "It'll be okay. I'll return in a day or two and it should be there," only to discover through an unceremonious Twitter post that it's been discontinued.

What could be more disheartening? Ask any die-hard fan and intrigued consumer who never got to experience the splendor of an edible pop culture phenomenon. For better or worse, nothing goes out quietly in the age of the internet. While some foods may inevitably meet their untimely demise, nothing says 21st-century first-world problems like begrudged 30-somethings raging online because their favorite ice cream was pulled from the freezer section.

Humorously, these are not just one-off occurrences; there's a long history of fans going to great lengths to bring back their favorite foods. Modern-day keyboard warriors have fought tooth and nail to see these items returned to their former glory and enshrined in the consumer market forever. Sometimes the wrath of fans helps discontinued foods make a comeback, but ultimately, there is no guarantee. One thing is clear though — the passion fueling these movements is truly awe-inspiring, albeit, a bit overblown. 

When you think of a classic sweet American treat, the first food that comes to mind is probably a Twinkie, right? With its creamy filling and fluffy golden crust, this legendary sponge cake confection came onto the scene nearly a century ago thanks to baker James Dewar. Dewar didn't know it then, but he struck sugary gold when he happened upon a billboard that read "Twinkle Toe Shoes," and the name "Twinkie" was born.

It's hard to imagine a world without this pop culture snack. From features in song lyrics to cameos in hit movies, like the 1984 Ghostbusters film, one might assume that this nugget of pure joy and sunshine has always been around. But in 2012, Hostess, the original manufacturer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing rapidly declining sales and consumer habits shifting to healthier snack alternatives.

America entered a dark phase in its history on November 15, 2012, when Hostess made the unforgivable decision to suspend the production of Twinkies. The outrage and overreaction were swift. Consumers across the nation advanced upon every supermarket to stockpile as many Twinkies as possible. Fans on Twitter set the social media platform ablaze, with one user tweeting, "Screw the fiscal cliff! Where's the Twinkie bailout?" Despite the dramatics, Twinkies were only gone for a few months, ultimately returning permanently in July of the following year when the company was bought out of bankruptcy.

The fast-food industry has never been a pioneer of healthy eating habits. Still, since the 1990s, the Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich has been a staple menu item, offering fans a healthier alternative to the typical burgers and fried fare. Its simple construction was quintessential to its popularity; it featured an herb-marinated grilled chicken breast, mayo, tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce — the perfect sandwich.

It was the last vestige of an era and the only non-fried chicken sandwich Wendy's offered. In March 2023, Wendy's introduced a new selection of menu items, including a grilled chicken ranch wrap. When concerned fans discovered the new item was strikingly similar to the grilled chicken sandwich, rumors swirled that the latter was approaching its imminent demise. To the chagrin of many, the fast-food chain soon confirmed the discontinuation and pulled the item from its menus nationwide.

Naturally, the throngs of health-conscious fast-food lovers, who for years relied on this quick-bite item as a semi-healthy meal option, were not too thrilled with the news. They immediately took to social media to air their feelings of betrayal and sadness. One Reddit user expressed their disapproval in a post to the forum, "I hate this," and noted that the grilled chicken sandwich is "The only reason I go to Wendy's." May its legacy live on in the hearts of those who cherished its flavorful embrace.

It's easy to underestimate how many people really love pasta. Ronzoni's Pastina, despite lacking the notoriety of other prominent food brands, still gathered a sizeable fanbase. "Pastina," which means "little pasta," was shaped like tiny little stars and had a fun, almost whimsical quality. Because of its distinctive look and simple cooking instructions, Pastina found its way into many households throughout the decades as a fast, delicious, and easy-to-prepare meal.

But charms weren't enough to save this petite pasta. Ronzoni released a tweet in January 2023 explaining its reason for discontinuing the fan-favorite starry pasta. Unexpectedly, its long-time supplier would no longer make Pastina, and with the brand unable to secure a viable alternative manufacturer, discontinuation was unavoidable. This case was even more unfortunate because Ronzoni did not intend to pull Pastina off the shelves in the first place.

Still, fans were quite peeved and crestfallen by the abrupt news. Many of them took to Twitter to air their grievances, with one fan bitterly tweeting, "Today I found out that Ronzoni is discontinuing their pastina and, frankly, they should go to jail for this." Another fan posted a minute-long video ranting: "It is a crime to discontinue Pastina." Though this pasta is gone for now, the little stars will continue to shine brightly in our hearts and memories.

Chili's is the ideal family-friendly restaurant for when you want something uncomplicated and easy to digest. Among the All-American and Mexican-inspired classics, the original chicken crispers were a fan favorite of the casual dine-in chain. Since the '90s, these deep-fried tempura-breaded tenders packed a seasoned crunch that didn't break the bank.

So it's no surprise that fans were shocked when they discovered the chain was removing them at the end of 2022, especially with the dish's overwhelming popularity. The announcement was so milquetoast, with a simple tweet saying: "like this tweet if you're going to miss original chicken crispers." Simplifying the menu for the cooks was the primary reason for the decision, but fans were not appeased by that explanation.

As to be expected, a change.org petition garnered over 400 signatures for the food's return, while Chili's Reddit page was inundated by angry fans mourning the disappearance. Another fan on Twitter had more severe words to share: "It should be illegal to discontinue anything with 'original' in the name." While that legal claim may be hard to back up, it's worth noting that Chili's sells Crispy Crispers as the new alternative. However, without the classic tempura batter, they just don't hit quite right like the original crispers. 

Introduced to the public by General Mills in 1996, French Toast Crunch was an integral part of that now-bygone era for '90s kids. The cereal's sugary, syrupy taste and crunchy texture made it a popular option as part of a "complete breakfast."

Shaped like tiny slices of French toast, the cereal amassed quite a following over the years until its eventual demise a decade later. It was tragically discontinued in the United States in 2006 for reasons never quite made clear (though it remained available in Canada and Australia). The announcement sent ripples through the American French Toast Crunch eating community, with fevered last-minute speed runs to the supermarket to grab what remained.

To no surprise, change.org and gopetition.com petitions were created, urging General Mills to bring the cereal back to the U.S. Meanwhile, a Facebook community page dedicated to the fallen cereal gained more than 7,000 followers, illustrating the unwavering love fans had for the sweet cereal brand. In December 2014, due to overwhelming popular demand and outrage, General Mills announced the cereal's return to applause and happy tears. Now, get to hoarding.

It's a well-known fact that Girl Scouts are famous for their wide selection of irresistible cookies; everyone's got their favorites. But do you remember Savannah Smiles? These soft cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar looked just as cute as they sounded. Plus, a pop of zesty lemon came through with each and every bite.

Despite being a relatively popular special edition flavor, Girl Scouts ultimately decided to can the cookie for good in early 2019 to make room for new flavors. Naturally, fans were unhappy and started a petition to bring the cookie back, amassing nearly 4,000 signatures from Savannah Smiles connoisseurs. Fans took to Twitter, starting the Justice 4 Savannah twitter page to undo the sugary sweet damage.

Even New York Times bestselling author, Clint Smith, had a bone to pick with the organization on Twitter: "Worst thing about this Girl Scout Cookie season is realizing that they discontinued Savannah Smiles. I'm devastated. What do I [do] without that powder sugar-dusted lemon cookie?? They were the best cookies on the whole list. Who made this decision??? Someone at HQ needs to be fired." Well, there's still the Lemonades, right?