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The ’80s were a golden decade for the Golden Arches, thanks to Executive Chef René Arend. During his tenure at McDonald’s, which began in 1976 and lasted until 2004, Cheque’s kitchen is full of experimentation and innovation. One of Arend’s biggest hitsArray, of course, McDonald’s highlighted the Chicken McNuggets. However, for each of the house’s orders, there were many twists and turns in the 1980s. Gary Eckmann, a corporate worker-turned-franchisee, told the Bangor Daily News in 1988, “Only one in two hundred concepts gets to the point of being tested in the marketplace through consumers. “
Some menu item concepts that emerged in traditional McDonald’s restaurants in the 1980s are lovingly respected to this day. But many have long since been forgotten, such as the Styrofoam boxes they were once introduced into. For this, we went back in time to the 80s to see what we had missed. These pieces were meant to bring freshness to breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. They included signature dips, gourmet salads, Latin-inspired dishes, and even pizza. Enjoy!
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In the early ’80s, as McDonald’s was slowly launching its new sausage and egg biscuit and laying the groundwork for the Sausage McMuffin, it also seemed like a new dessert. At the time, McDonald’s chef René Arend told St. John’s that he was not a good listener. John’s. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I’m also testing a caramel pecan muffin in other markets. “In 1982, the freshly made caramel pecan muffin was added to the breakfast line.
This circular dough resembled modern cinnamon, but with a generous amount of nuts on top. In ads, the company described it as: “Light and flaky with a hint of cinnamon. . . and a sweet, crunchy topping of caramel and chopped walnuts. “!” According to Arend, the pecan and caramel roll was one of the last pieces he and McDonald’s chain master Ray Kroc came up with together, before the latter’s death in 1984 (via “Restaurants”).
However, this role does not seem to have continued beyond 1984. However, a cinnamon muffin was eventually added to the menu and existed as a component of the chain’s McCafé bakery features, along with apple fritters and blueberry muffins, until the pieces were discontinued in 2023.
In 1984, McDonald’s went big with its first 1/3-pound burger: the Cheddar Melt. The burger topped with melted cheddar cheese sauce, grilled onions and, in some other Golden Arches release, presented on a rye bun. The big lie has been proven in Indianapolis and Milwaukee, and Robert Keyser, McDonald’s director of public relations, told La Crosse Tribune, “People seem to like it, even though we haven’t done any prior advertising. “
After additional testing in countries such as Utah and Canada, McDonald’s was able to market the product nationally in 1988, but now the burger has shrunk to a 1/4-pound size. During Super Bowl XXII, McDonald’s bought airtime to do a big ad. with an almost silent announcement. The ad featured Cheddar Melt, letting the images and some text do the talking. At the end of the ad, the last line of text read, “Thanks for listening. “Tom Shales, television critic for the Washington Post at the time, called it the most productive ad aired all night.
By the end of the first quarter of 1988, McDonald’s had noticed an 18% increase in its business over the past year, thanks in part to the good fortune of the limited-edition Cheddar Melt. Customer demand has kept him coming back several times. , adding a 1992 edition that included bacon. The last known sighting was in 2014, at lucky soup kitchens in parts of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
In the mid-1980s, McDonald’s began preparing a new menu that included grilled white-meat poultry fillet. At the time, corporate spokeswoman Lana Ehrsam told the Herald News: “We are a consumer-centric company. McNuggets are very popular, so we’re looking for another way to serve poultry. “In 1985, a trademark was registered through McDonald’s for a dish called Chicken L. T.
In March 1986, Chicken L. T. shipped to McDonald’s locations in select cities in Washington, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania for public testing. This article was also prepared by Chef René Arend.
One of the draws of this item was its low calorie content, just under 300 compared to a sandwich. In a TV ad for this article, a woman explains how she pauses, after watching what appears to be a Jane Fonda workout video, to indulge in an L. T. In Ashington, this constant period, some outlets were selling between 150 and 200 a day. But not everyone liked it, and a few other people felt the steak tasted pre-cooked and dry. The mayonnaise aspect didn’t seem to help, and at the end of the year, Arfinish, with the help of Kraft, brought in three more sauces to solve this problem: Hickory Barbeque, Honey Horseradish, and Light Mayonnaise. This product took its last breath in 1987, but that wasn’t the last time McDonald’s crowned L’s chicken. and T.
In the 1980s, Nelly and Dominic Quijano owned a McDonald’s in Houston. As owners, they realized that McDonald’s didn’t exactly cater to the tastes of the local Hispanic community. So, in 1985, they overhauled a breakfast burrito for customers. Three years later, taking advantage of this trend, McDonald’s introduced its Chicken McNugget Fiesta menu item. In July 1989, McDonald’s took it a step further in hopes of hosting the party for lucky diners in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia. These check markets served ham or sausage burritos for breakfast, as well as a Mexican-inspired Quarter Pounder edition for lunch and dinner.
The Quarter Pounder was first brought in 1971 through Fremont, California, under the Al Bernardin franchise. The Quarter Pounder Ranchero, which sold for $1. 79, started with the typical bun, beef burger and lettuce, but was topped off with a toast and red taco sauce with chunks. pepper. A review in The Pittsburgh Press via Ann Butler noted, “It’s too subtle. It has to be seasoned. ” But then he added, “The rancher is rarely very bad. If you add flavor to it, it will be better. “
While a burrito discovered a permanent spot on McDonald’s breakfast menu, the Quarter Pounder Ranchero turned out to be a one-of-a-kind marvel. The word “Ranchero” resurfaced on the McDonald’s menu in 2001 with a Ranchero Bagel.
After serving breakfast burritos and passing the Quarter Pounder Ranchero tests, McDonald’s made the decision to host an even bigger “Fiesta” in 1988. This time, the McNuggets were the cause for celebration. They accompanied it through 3 new sauces, 30 million pieces from Latin America and a tropical smoothie.
The party began on August 12, 1988 and lasted 4 weeks at express locations, in addition to McDonald’s in Guam. The outlets were decorated, and the team members wore stereotypical clothing. If a visitor ordered a nine- or 20-piece McNugget meal, it was presented in a gorgeously designed box containing a real coin sourced from one of six Latin American countries, as well as 3 signature sauces: a spicy green chile sauce with jalapeno peppers, a mild sauce with chunks of tomato and onion, and a smoky-flavored mesquite fried fish sauce. While at the time those flavors seemed unforeseen within the confines of a McDonald’s, today packets of hot sauce or mild hot sauce are ready.
If that wasn’t enough, a Fiesta Colada smoothie was introduced to help reduce the temperature after dipping it into those sauces. Basically, it was a vanilla milkshake flavored with coconut and pineapple. A TV ad aired at the time touted the drink as “delicious, different, “cool” (via YouTube). It’s not good enough to take off, but at least at McDonald’s in Australia, you might still be able to get a comfortable portion flavored with piña colada.
In August 1986, Madonna and Sean Penn starred in the film “Shanghai Surprise”. Around the same time, Chicken McNuggets Shanghai was launched. Lana Ehrsam, a spokesperson for McDonald’s, told the Miami Herald about the article, “We were simply looking for the new McNuggets. “The McNuggets were housed in a red and black box. They arrived here with a goodie bag containing chopsticks, a McFortune cookie, and special sauces (Teriyaki, sweet and sour, and spicy mustard).
Seven other bakeries produced more than 40 million McFortune cookies for this race. The paper fortunes contained McWisdoms as: “The total global is a stage. Right now, it’s an in-between. ” Others have said things like, “It’s better to have enjoyed a small user than never to have enjoyed a tall user at all,” according to the Gannett News Service. An equivalent amount of chopsticks was also produced. This would have been about the same as what would have been produced for all McDonald’s in South Korea at the time. In some places, those McNuggets were so popular that they ran out of sauces.
This crusade flew north to Canada in the summer of 1987 and crossed the Atlantic to England the following year. Its packaging earned its position (not in a light) at the Museum of China in America in New York, and even spawned a parody of the 1986 one. “Saturday night live. “
1984 was a busy year for McDonald’s as it conducted product testing in select check markets. Two of the rarest pieces to see the light of day were the Chicken McSwiss and the Maple McCrisp.
For the breakfast menu, McDonald’s tried making a square candy nugget with its Maple McCrisp. McDonald’s spokeswoman Stephanie Skurdy told The Record: “It tastes a little bit like French toast. It’s crispy on the outside and when you bite into it, the syrup oozes out. “This one didn’t work either, but it looked like a blessed mess.
McDonald’s Chicken McSwiss attempt to create a cordon bleu sandwich. About 20 sites in Tennessee have been chosen as testing grounds. Classified ads advertised that the item had “three delicious flavors in one piping hot sandwich,” according to the Bristol Courier Herald. . This trio consisted of a piece of crispy chicken, a slice of smoked ham, and a creamy slice of Swiss cheese. A year later, The Elizabeth Star asked chef René Arend what had happened to the Chicken McSwiss, to which he replied that the treat had declined, leading to its removal from the menu.
When it comes to the holidays, McDonald’s has long embraced the holiday spirit to warm up or refresh its consumers with their food and beverages. Beginning in 1987, the chain introduced its Holiday Chicken McNuggets, accompanied by an ornate box that appeared to have been gift-wrapped with a red bow. To differentiate those McNuggets, two new sauces were also introduced: Apple Spice and Cranberry Orange, which also appeared on the box art.
The Holiday Chicken McNuggets returned for the next two years. In 1988 and 1989, Canadian diners were fortunate enough to have not one, but two festive desserts to finish their meal. The first was an eggnog milkshake, which McDonald’s had brought in for a limited time as early as 1970. The other was a peppermint ice cream with a syrup so red it could pass for a fake blood movie.
Thanks to Texas franchisee Will May, in October 1984, two rare vegetables at McDonald’s went on sale with the lettuce and tomato special. Northeast Ohio and Shreveport, Louisiana, were the check markets, where classified ads promised new slices of lettuce and tomato. . These were paired with the same old McDonald’s toppings such as cheese, pickles, ketchup, and mayonnaise on a quarter-pound burger. So how did McDonald’s make sure the new lettuce and tomatoes stayed new?Thanks to the ingenuity of a Shreveport franchise, a two-section container designed to separate the elements, allowing for a “hot, juicy burger with crispy new seasonings,” as Bob Keyser, McDonald’s media relations manager, explained to the Akron Beacon Journal.
In the summer of 1985, as testing expanded to more markets, adding Canada, the special burger was given a new name: The McD. L. T. For source markets where Latvian
In 1990, bowing to public pressure, McDonald’s announced its move to paper packaging. This resolution contributed to the death of the McD. L. T. , as there was no suitable replacement paper for the exclusive hull that kept this object fresh. However, nowadays, lettuce and shredded tomatoes can be added to any sandwich.
Many of McDonald’s most productive and enduring inventions on its menu are the result of experimentation through its franchise owners. One of the most prolific experimenters, Al Bernardin, introduced the Quarter Pounder from his facility in Fremont, California. While it was a huge success, of course, there were some hiccups, such as their ground turkey McGobbler and a nutritional edition of the Big Mac called the Lite Mac.
The Mac Lite was first put in the mouth in November 1983. Compared to the Big Mac, it had one less piece of bread, was lighter in its signature sauce, had a leaner burger, and had 40% fewer calories. A spokesperson for the Bernardin government later told the Cincinnati Enquirer, “People are looking for lighter foods and that would possibly be an answer for us. “
The Lite Mac was reviewed at five McDonald’s in the San Francisco domain and sold for the same value as the original item ($1. 29). It garnered combined reviews from consumers and fell into primary sales, accounting for only 3 to 8% of each location’s sales. total. After one year, the initial control phase was not passed. McDonald’s spokeswoman Terri Capatosto later told the New York Times that it “just wasn’t the flavor our consumers were looking for. “
When Chicken McNuggets were introduced nationally in 1983, there were only 4 sauces: honey, sweet and sour, spicy mustard, and barbecue. The following summer, McDonald’s spiced things up and introduced limited-edition sauces. Through Sept. 9 of the same year, visitors can also try spicy jalapeños or Louisiana-style sauces. The ad aired at the time said things like “it’s a hot time for hot sauces” and “take them while they’re hot,” with some very gripping footage (via YouTube).
The jalapeño hot sauce resembled salsa verde, while the Louisiana-style salsa was a cross between ketchup and classic Louisiana-style hot sauce. McDonald’s would revert to spicy flavors several times thereafter. He did so with his Habanero Ranch, as well as his collaboration with the K-pop organization BTS, which briefly introduced diners to the selection of Cajun sauces and Sweet Chili. In 2020, McDonald’s even released a highly spiced edition of Chicken McNuggets.
In 1985, McDonald’s, despite everything, gave in to roll-up dough, i. e. , pizza dough. McDonald’s in Wilmington, Delaware, was chosen as one of the first places to serve McPizza, along with nine other places that tried it. This early version of the McPizza wasn’t even shaped like a typical pizza. This 99-cent item looked more like a Hot Pocket or calzone, stuffed with provolone and mozzarella cheeses, ground beef, pepperoni, onion, oregano, and ketchup, and housed in a paper case. box that looked like a cake stand or hash brown.
The initial goal is to see if McPizza is a hit with consumers and if it can work within the McDonald’s formula without slowing down the production of other products. Speaking on the issue, McDonald’s spokeswoman Terri Capatosto told the Chicago Tribune, “We’re essentially testing to see if we can make a product like this. We’re essentially a burger corporation and we need to see if our consumers will need it greatly. “
The McPizza pies arrived frozen and fried on the spot in just over 4 minutes. If they sat for more than 10 minutes, they had to be discarded. By 1986, testing had expanded to 60 McDonald’s. But Edward Rensi, president of McDonald’s USA, put the brakes on slightly. He told the Chicago Tribune, “In the long term, we’re going to grow McPizza, but in the short term, we’re going to go into salads. “
After a few years of experimenting with Hot Pocket-style McPizza, McDonald’s adopted a more familiar form. This second version of the pizza, released in 1987, is less of a snack and more of a personal pizza. It arrived in a 7-inch oval shape and is served in a plastic container.
About forty-five sites, spread across Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, and South Carolina, had the first opportunity to feast on the new cakes. They came in two varieties: cheese for $1. 15 and a combination of sausage and pepperoni for $1. 30. They both arrived here in a convenient self-service box. The tarts contained calzone-like toppings, topped with mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, herbs, and spices.
Bob Home, who at the time operated a couple of McDonald’s restaurants in the Charleston area, told the Charlotte Observer, “It’s a smart cheese pizza, sales are smart. “He also added, “And our workers love it, and they’re pretty picky about what they eat. “
In 1989, McDonald’s locations in Evansville, Indiana, and Owensboro, Kentucky, were selected as pizzaiolos for a series of new 14-inch pies. However, this third incarnation, tested in the stores chosen by the chain, had a new name. McPizza, it was called McDonald’s Pizza.
The pizzas could only be ordered for dinner and came in four varieties: cheese, oni pepper, sausage, and luxury. Crushed red pepper with flakes and Parmesan cheese could also be ordered to sprinkle on top. It took them five to ten minutes to get ready and charge between $5 and $9 per order. Verification sites have been redesigned to have pizza-ready ovens. The drive-thru windows even had to be lengthened so that the pizza boxes could have compatibility through .
As the tests were localized, rumors began to surface across the United States about the product selling over 100,000 games in just 4 months. Even Pizza Hut took note and ran sarcastic “McFrozen” classified ads in an attempt to dissipate the air from McDonald’s crust. It looked like a national launch planned in the 1990s. Although service was officially discontinued in 1996, a McDonald’s in Spencer, West Virginia, and another in Pomeroy, Ohio, continued to serve the pie, until the ovens closed in 2017.
To keep up with rivals Wendy’s and Burger King, McDonald’s has tried to create salad bars. They did this starting in 1974, but switched to wrapped salads in 1984. Robert Keyser, McDonald’s director of media relations, told the Washington Post, “We don’t look back at the competition. We don’t see the desire to get into the business. Battle for second place. “
Five salads circulated from 1985. La lawn salad, which was made every day, was made with iceberg lettuce, celery, carrot, radish, cucumber, egg, tomato, and cheddar cheese. The chef’s salad and shrimp salad were similar. . However, the former was crowned with turkey and ham strips, while the latter was topped with shrimp. The oriental poultry salad included pieces of poultry, water chestnuts, crispy chow mein noodles, and dressing. The pasta salad was made with rotini noodles, ham, celery, carrots, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and a package of teriyaki dressing. Other features of the dressing included French dressing, Thousand Island dressing, blue cheese dressing, and a mild dressing. Bacon bits and croutons would also be included. I had it on request.
While the salads didn’t last, McDonald’s has continued to look for more eco-friendly products ever since, such as the short-lived, never-before-seen McSalad Shakers. In the 21st century, more unique features have emerged, such as Caesar and Cobb Salads. But eventually, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the crash of McDonald’s salads.
One specific breaded item served as the backdrop for several McDonald’s breakfast test products: cookies. Food technologist Ginnie Judd of Griffith Labs helped expand the recipe. He told the Kingsport Times-News: “Well, that’s pretty much the same old biscuit recipe with flour, baking soda and shortening. We keep tweaking it to make it perfect. “
In 1980, to move away from cookies used only as muffins for breakfast sandwiches, McDonald’s tried breakfast cookies. They were served with Southern-style ham or a red-meat sausage burger. And most importantly, they came without cheese. Later, bacon was added to the menu as a McDonald’s cookie. To this day, sausage and biscuit sandwiches with bacon are still on the menu.
In 1987, McDonald’s tried to do anything with its cookies outside of the sandwich business. States such as Indiana and South Carolina welcomed the new Sausage Gravy and Biscuit, as well as Cinnamon Raisin Biscuit. The homemade sauce contained red meat sausages, while the sweeter one had a soft glaze to keep the raisins and cinnamon in place. Nowadays, if you want to find the candy and cracker deals of yesteryear, your best bet is to head to Bojangles or Hardee’s.
McDonald’s and ice cream have a long and delicious partnership, from milkshakes to cones to McFlurry. A lesser-known product that once dotted the dessert menu, the Sundae Split, which made the first impression in this world in 1989. McDonald’s may have just called it a split banana, but it went to the trouble of registering the exclusive name of Sundae Split.
For just 99 cents, the Sundae Split presented a great price for ice cream lovers who didn’t have to go through the hassle of heading to a Dairy Queen restaurant after their McDonald’s meal. On a plastic tray, a bunch of soft ice used as a canvas for whipped cream, banana halves and old-fashioned McDonald’s toppings such as hot chocolate, hot caramel and strawberry. If that wasn’t enough, of course, there’s room for a cherry on top. This lasted at least until 1990 before a forgotten relic was fitted.
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