McDonald's had major boost in sales thanks to return of one fan-favourite item
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A returning McDonald’s menu item helped boost profits in America, resulting in a stronger-than-expected third-quarter sales growth, according to newly published statistics.
We can bet that the majority of us have mourned a now-discontinued sweet treat, fizzy drink, or a savoury favourite at some point; whether that’s Jell-O Pudding Pops, Burger King’s Italian Original Chicken Sandwich, or the delicious Nestlé Wonka Bars.
For regular McDonald’s eaters, there’s the cult McPizza, the sweet-and-creamy Cinnamon Melts, the Mac Jr, and so many other favourites that fell by the wayside in favour of more popular staples.
In 2016, fans were heartbroken to learn that the McDonald’s Snack Wrap was being phased out after a decade because of how complex it was to make. Four years later, it was officially extinct.
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Despite seemingly mirroring the same fate as Onion Nuggets and Arch Deluxe - two items that have never come home - McDonald’s broke the internet in April 2025 when it announced the Snack Wrap would be available across the United States again.
“Snack Wraps back? World peace might be next,” one X user typed at the time.
A second commented: “The streets have waited long enough. Snack Wrap supremacy is BACK.”
Buffalo, ranch and spicy versions of the McDonald’s Snack Wrap have been available for purchase across the States since July - and they’ve apparently proved extremely popular.
There was a 15 percent surge in US store traffic the day the Snack Wraps were re-released, according to Placer.ai data.
Ian Borden, McDonald's executive vice president and chief financial officer, told IndyStar that the snack-size $2.99 menu staple was the ‘most popular new chicken product launch in the US in recent history’.
Due to the Snack Wrap’s success, McDonald's CEO Christopher Kempczinski confirmed it will ‘continue to go after the broader chicken opportunity by expanding our portfolio and pulsing in limited-time offers to meet evolving consumer tastes.’
"We’re driving good share on our chicken offerings and continue to gain share in our top 10 markets in the quarter,” he continued. "The strong customer reception to this highly anticipated launch highlights the importance of pairing the right product with the right value proposition.”
As well as the Snack Wrap boosting US same-store profits by 2.4 percent, its new Extra Value Menu has been doing some of the heavy lifting, too.
Launched in September, the Extra Value Menu offered an $8 Big Mac meal and a $5 Sausage McMuffin meal for a limited time.
It also saw special promotions, including 50-cent double cheeseburgers to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day.
According to the supplied data, McDonald’s third-quarter revenue rose three percent to $7.08 billion, while the fast-food chain’s net income rose one percent to $2.28 billion.
Despite solid numbers, Borden warned that deals featured on the Extra Value Menu have proved costly for McDonald’s.
This is because the company agreed to pay its US franchisees half the cost of the price reduction in Extra Value Meals, which cost $15 million in September and will amount to $75 million in the fourth quarter, as per the Associated Press.
McDonald’s also used $40 million to support marketing of the Extra Value Meals, the outlet reported.
Kempczinski added that the cooperation is struggling to see demand from households making less than $45,000 per year returning.
He said that unless those consumers start to ‘feel some relief in the cost of nondiscretionary items like food prices, child care and rent’, it’s unlikely to improve.
“There’s some significant inflation there that the low-income consumers are having to absorb, and I think that’s affecting their outlook and their sentiment.”