McDonald's Grilled Chicken Sandwich Disappeared in 2020 Because Too Few People Ordered It — Rising Beef Prices Could Bring It Back

The grilled chicken sandwich once held a distinct place on McDonald's menus in the United States as a healthier alternative. But in 2020 the item suddenly vanished, and while speculation about the decision has circulated ever since, a former executive of the company has now explained it himself: the reasoning, he says, was simple — not enough customers were ordering it.

Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's manager of culinary innovation and chef, gave that explanation in an interview with Fox News Digital. From 2015 to 2019 he worked on creating new menu items for the chain's U.S. locations, giving him first-hand knowledge of the internal calculations behind decisions to drop a product.

Haracz said that for McDonald's and any corporate chain restaurant, every menu item faces a certain sales threshold it must clear to be profitable and worth keeping. Once an item's sales dip below a certain level, he explained, it no longer makes financial sense to keep it on the menu, because unsold product ends up being thrown away.

The grilled chicken sandwich has a long history. It was introduced in 1993 as a healthier menu offering, made with a marinated skinless chicken breast filet, lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, Monterey Jack cheese and an herb sauce piled on a bun, according to a press release issued at the time.

In 2015 McDonald's revamped the sandwich, announcing that its grilled chicken would be prepared using only canola oil, olive oil, and real spices and herbs. The refreshed product returned as the Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich. It did not survive, however: in 2020 the sandwich lost its place on the menu, at the same time as salads were removed from U.S. menus.

Haracz noted that health-conscious customers did value the offering — especially parents. While their children might be excited about a Happy Meal, parents often wanted something comparatively healthier for themselves, and grilled chicken was the option they appreciated.

Kitchen logistics also played a part. Like many other items, the grilled chicken sandwich was cooked on the flattop and held in universal holding cabinets. Space is valuable at McDonald's, Haracz said, with each location organised so that every square inch is profitable; an item that takes up space without making money is unlikely to last long.

Flavour entered the calculation too. Consumer satisfaction plays a big role, and Haracz said the sandwich's flavour profile did not always wow guests. There was also the question of menu cannibalisation: with a chicken sandwich available, some customers ordered it instead of Chicken McNuggets, and the company's judgement was that removing the sandwich would most likely steer those customers to other items rather than lose them.

The story may not be over. At a September investor meeting, McDonald's executives discussed plans to expand the chain's chicken lineup, including potentially bringing back grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps, as demand for protein options grows, according to reporting on the meeting.

Haracz himself thinks a comeback is possible. Many chains are dealing with rising beef prices, he said, and one way to offset that is to offer a more affordable protein option — chicken. He is unsure whether grilled chicken specifically will enjoy a renaissance, but he expects chicken items in general to become more popular, not only because of beef prices but because chicken can also carry a bigger profit margin if developed appropriately.

McDonald's was approached for comment, but no response had been received by the time of reporting. Whether the grilled chicken sandwich will truly return to the menu therefore remains, for now, a matter of speculation.

One thing is clear, however: fast-food menus are not decided by taste alone. Sales thresholds, kitchen space, profit margins and customer behaviour together determine which items stay and which disappear. That arithmetic removed the grilled chicken sandwich in 2020 — and a changed market may yet use the same arithmetic to bring it back.