McDonald’s McRib Farewell Tour Isn’t the End

• McDonald’s is taking the McRib on its fourth farewell tour.
• Restaurant chains frequently bring back discontinued items to greater sales and demand than before.
• A farewell tour is more of a “call to action” than a sign the McRib will actually leave menus, an analyst said.

McDonald’s McRib is on a “farewell tour,” but fans shouldn’t worry too much about it coming back.

The sandwich with the cult following is returning to menus on October 31 for a limited time. McDonald’s is emphasizing the fleeting potential of the McRib, saying “this could be your last chance to taste it” in a press release. The menu listing online says, “Enjoy our famous pork sandwich as if it’s your last!”.

Despite the messaging, it’s unlikely the McRib will be gone for good, analyst and CEO of Kalinowski Equity Associates Mark Kalinowski told Insider. “If it sells well, it will keep coming back,” he told Insider. The McRib sells exceptionally, according to McDonald’s, though it hasn’t released specific sales figures.

CEO Chris Kempczinski called it “the GOAT of sandwiches on our menu” in an October 27 earnings call, referring to the acronym for “greatest of all time.”

But McDonald’s is being coy about whether the sandwich will actually disappear for good. “Like the GOATs of Michael Jordan, Tom Brady & others, you’re never sure if they’re fully retired or not,” Kempczinski said when asked about the McRib returning.

It seems fans aren’t meant to take the possibility of the McRib leaving menus permanently too seriously. McDonald’s has held three other farewell tours for the sandwich, in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The campaign is more of a “call to action,” Kalinowski said, letting customers know that they might have to wait to get it again, even if not forever.

Fast food chains regularly say items are gone for good, only to return them to menus after a response from customers or a need for a sales boost. Temporarily removing items from menus can increase demand when they return. Taco Bell famously removed potatoes and the Mexican Pizza from menus only to return both within a year, saying demand for the Mexican Pizza was seven times higher after its return.

The strategy exists beyond fast food, too. Olive Garden brought back its Never Ending Pasta Bowl promotion in September, just a year after CEO Rick Cardenas said it likely would not return because of a “negative impact” on bottom lines.

When dishes like Mexican pizza or the McRib return, they already have a built-in fanbase among customers. The chain doesn’t have to convince customers to come in and try something new. Instead, they’ve already been anticipating the return for months or even years, in this case, and McDonald’s is unlikely to throw that away with the McRib.