Chain Restaurants That Changed Their Signature Recipes

When you think of major recipe makeovers, Domino's is likely one of the first restaurants that comes to mind. The chain, which has been around since 1960, was the fastest-growing pizza restaurant in the country at one point. That is until the competition grew stiff, and pizza lovers nationwide realized that they didn't have to sacrifice taste for speed... and that Domino's pizza just wasn't very good compared to the rest. 

So, what did Domino's do about it? They took the criticism and ran with it, launching the "Pizza Turnaround" in 2008. The campaign encouraged customers from all over to tell the world what they really thought of the old pizza. And they did not hold back. Some said the crust tasted like cardboard, and the sauce was more like ketchup. Others called it "the worst excuse for pizza" they've ever had. 

By the end of 2009, Domino's rolled out a completely new and improved pizza recipe. According to Pizza Marketplace, Domino's new recipe features that signature garlic and herb-seasoned crust we've grown to love, plus a better, bolder tomato sauce, and 100 percent real cheese. Whether it was the recipe or the strategy, Domino's did something right, and today it's once again ranked among the best pizza chains out there (via Daily Meal).

While french fries may reign as the most popular food at McDonald's, they definitely share the spotlight when it comes to the most iconic menu items under the Golden Arches. The Big Mac is basically synonymous with McDonald's. It was created at a franchise in Pittsburgh in 1967, and now it's reportedly the chain's second best-selling item of all time. So, what made this double patty, triple bun creation such a smash hit? Some say it all comes down to that creamy, tangy Special Sauce. But like the fries, this signature recipe has also seen some changes over the years.

When the Big Mac launched nationwide in 1968, there were actually two versions of the Special Sauce being used. According to the company's website, after a few years of testing and development, one signature Big Mac special sauce came to life. Then in 1991, the recipe was changed "to cut costs," but by 2004, McDonald's exec Fred Turner (who worked alongside the company's founder, Ray Kroc), was brought out of retirement to help the struggling chain get back on track (via Chicago Tribune). One of the first orders of business was to track down the original recipe for the Big Mac Special Sauce and return the iconic burger to its former glory. 

The latest change to the Special Sauce came in 2018, when McDonald's made some big changes across the board, removing artificial flavors and preservatives from most of its menu items, including the Big Mac sauce.

If a salad and soup combo is your go-to lunch order, chances are Panera Bread is in your midday meal rotation. The bakery-cafe has grown into a fast-casual favorite around the country (per Eater), reportedly serving up around 200 million servings of soup every year. And Panera Bread's broccoli cheddar soup ranks above all the others. The creamy, cheesy soup is a long-standing favorite, made better only when served in a signature warm and fluffy bread bowl. 

Panera's broccoli cheddar soup got a makeover in 2016. Per Business Insider, the change was part of the chain's goal to remove all artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and sweeteners from its menu by the end of that year, starting with its soups. It took a lot of time and effort to recreate the signature recipes with only clean ingredients. Panera Bread's head chef told Food Business News that the broccoli cheddar recipe was revised 60 times until it was just right. Fans are still loving the soup, and now they can enjoy it guilt-free.

Wendy's has been serving up old-fashioned hamburgers since 1969. Despite humble beginnings, it's grown into the third-largest fast-food burger chain in the U.S., with nearly 6,000 locations across the country. Fans have been loving Wendy's iconic square-cut burger patties, alongside a side of fries (made for dipping into those signature Frostys, of course) for more than four decades.

Then, in 2011, Wendy's decided it was time for a change, and completely reinvented their 42-year-old signature burger recipe. Not because it was bad, but because, according to Wendy's, "we wanted it to be better," adding, "isn't that what long-term brands do? They reinvent themselves" (via NBC News). The move was definitely strategic, though. In a world of burgers dominated by the likes of McDonald's, Burger King, and Five Guys, Wendy's was looking to draw attention to itself, and hopefully, boost struggling sales at the time (via The New York Times).

The new sandwiches were branded Dave's Hot 'N Juicy burgers, after Wendy's founder Dave Thomas. They feature thicker beef patties, buttered and toasted buns, properly melted cheese, and new toppings, including red onions, crinkle cut pickles, and mayo instead of mustard (via Serious Eats).

Whether you're team PSL all the way or completely over the fad that seemingly takes hold every Autumn, it's undeniable that pumpkin spice lattes are a staple fall drink. Ever since Starbucks first introduced them to the world in 2003, they've exploded in popularity, becoming a go-to for basic girls and beyond. You'll find twists on the original in coffee shops around the world, not to mention copycat recipes all over the internet. 

However, you may not know that the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte that started it all didn't originally have any pumpkin in it. It was flavored with pumpkin pie spices and included a bit of artificial coloring instead. However, Starbucks was eventually called out by a food blogger for the lack of pumpkin in the drink, and customers followed suit (via USA Today). 

In 2015, Starbucks changed the signature PSL recipe, removing the artificial coloring, and adding in real pumpkin purée. There were mixed reviews over the new recipe (via Spoon University). But, that may be less about what's in the drink and more about the cultural phenomenon it's become, for better or worse.

When it comes to fast food, sometimes it's best not to wonder too much about the ingredients in your meal, which is made to be tasty, filling, and last for a while without spoiling. But thanks to changing consumer tastes and some savvy food bloggers, many food and restaurant brands have moved to alter their recipes and get rid of artificial ingredients and questionable additives. Such is the case for Subway, which changed up its bread recipe in 2014 after a blogger shed light on the way the chain makes its bread (via CBS News). 

Up until that point, Subway had been using a chemical known as azodicarbonamide in its bread. The chemical is approved by the FDA for use as "a bleaching agent and dough conditioner" in cereal and bread. But as it turns out, it's also used to make yoga mats. Once this came to light, consumers were understandably turned off, despite the fact that the ingredient is safe to use in certain food products. However, the negative publicity wasn't worth it. 

In response to the backlash, Subway announced that it was developing "an improved bread formula" after "extensive performance and consumer testing" (via CNN). Now, whether or not this can actually be considered bread or not, is a whole other story.

For many millennials, weekend trips to the mall growing up weren't complete without a stop at the food court, where one could almost always find the buffet of hot, fresh Sbarro pizza. The restaurant was founded by a Brooklyn-based Italian couple in 1956 and has since taken over mall food courts. But the death of shopping malls, coupled with the rise of fast-casual dining led Sbarro into a downward spiral in the early 2000s (via QSR). In an effort to revive its former glory, the company embarked on a total rebranding that included completely changing its signature pizza recipe. 

In 2012, Sbarro introduced a brand new Neapolitan-style pizza that would replace its longstanding formula. The company said it was "returning to its Italian roots" (via Cision PR Newswire) with the new pizza, which features "all-natural ingredients, including dough made from scratch daily, vine ripened whole peeled tomatoes and freshly shredded whole milk mozzarella." 

Sbarro executive Anthony J. Missano told The New York Times that the company recognized that "people are much smarter about what they're eating," adding, "they have higher expectations of what they're going to get when they go to a restaurant, and we're going to give it to them with this new pizza." Whether it's the new pizza (which does get good reviews), or a resurgence of nostalgia, Sbarro has returned to the ranks of America's favorite pizza chains (via The Daily Meal).