The Old-School McDonald's Breakfast Item We Want Back On The Menu

McDonald's recent re-introduction of its discontinued Snack Wrap has been a resounding success so far, as the chain experienced a boost in sales after bringing the popular item back in July. During the initial announcement, president of McDonald's USA Joe Erlinger said that customer response played a significant role in the item's return, explaining to "Good Morning America," "[The Snack Wrap] has a cult following. I get so many emails into my inbox about this product."

The restaurant's willingness to heed the cry of its customers is heartening for fans of other discontinued McDonald's items, such as the McSkillet Burrito. While there's no indication that this breakfast item will make its grand return, the McSkillet Burrito has remained on the minds of some consumers since its discontinuation in 2010. The menu item made its debut just three years prior in 2007. 

The McSkillet Burrito consisted of sausage, potatoes, scrambled eggs, salsa, peppers, onions, and three varieties of cheese. The chain also performed a test run of a steak burrito featuring the same ingredients, but it's not clear whether that version made its way to the general public. While it's been over 25 years since McDonald's locations in the U.S. carried the item, fans aren't willing to let it go. For instance, a Change.org petition created in 2020 called on McDonald's to make the McSkillet Burrito available to customers again. Even more surprising, the petition is still actively receiving signatures five years later. 

McDonald's has never officially stated why it discontinued its McSkillet Burrito, but there are common factors involved when a restaurant chooses to cease selling an item. As for why popular items are often discontinued at McDonald's, one of the chain's former corporate chefs, Mike Haracz, explained in a TikTok post that there are two primary reasons.

The restaurant has a devoted customer base, and these people continue to patronize McDonald's and purchase standard menu items (think burgers and fries) regardless of the availability of specialty items. Additionally, some specialty items are more challenging to prepare and cook, which can cause delays in the kitchen. As a brand, McDonald's is devoted to efficiency and consistency, so it makes sense that the chain would prioritize streamlined operations.

The reemergence of the Snack Wrap shows that McDonald's isn't afraid to break its own rules on occasion, but fans of the McSkillet Burrito probably shouldn't expect the same outcome. The chain offers a smaller, slightly tweaked version of the discontinued breakfast item in its sausage burrito (which you can recreate at home using our easy copycat recipe). Having two similar breakfast items on the menu doesn't make much sense, so we may be waiting indefinitely for this bygone item to return.