Even McDonald's Franchisees Want The Snack Wrap Back

The cries to bring back McDonald's mythical Snack Wrap only grow stronger. This time the plea comes from a very interesting cohort: McDonald's franchisees. Restaurant Business reports that one group of independent McDonald's operators have been rallying for the Snack Wrap's return to the menu, and not just because fans have long demanded it. The franchisees also believe that the Snack Wrap could ultimately be good for businesses going forward.

For years, McDonald's corporate has been reluctant to resurrect the Snack Wrap, a simple menu item of crispy or grilled chicken, lettuce, cheese, and the choice of ranch or honey mustard dressing, all wrapped in a flour tortilla. Despite the rumors that fly around on a regular basis, getting everyone's hopes up, it's not returning any time soon.

But the National Owners Association, an independent group of McDonald's franchisees, wants Snack Wraps back because they could add meaningfully to the restaurants' bottom line: the wraps offer a value option that would otherwise have to come in the form of a discount on one of McDonald's regular menu items.

The NOA issued a letter to its membership base noting that competitors (such as Burger King, Wendy's, and KFC) have already jumped on the opportunity to fill the void with similar menu items. The association notes that while there might be a few extra ingredients needed on the assembly line to create the Snack Wraps, they wouldn't be a problem in terms of execution.

"Snack wraps are craveable, relatively simple to produce, would require only a couple new menu items on the prep table and could easily satisfy the call for more affordable options on the menu. Let's bring them back!" read the letter in part.

The need for value menu items is a pressing issue for some franchisees, because McDonald's corporate has admitted that higher menu prices have caused the chain to lose some lower-income customers in recent months. The National Owners Association argues that rather than discounting existing items, which would potentially dig into profits, McDonald's could offer inherently affordable items to lure price-conscious customers, the (already beloved) Snack Wrap being a perfect example.

Even McDonald's employees purportedly want Snack Wraps back on the menu. A thread on Reddit from last year suggests that employees are confident the wraps would sell well, with one commenter writing, "KFC? Wraps. Wendy's? Wraps. BURGER KING? WRAPS. Our marketing team is failing us by introducing the same meals we have already been selling." This mention of "introducing the same meals" is in reference to McDonald's Loki Meal from last year, which featured no new menu items or condiments except for a bit of modified labeling on its existing Sweet 'N Sour sauce.

It is important to note that the Snack Wrap isn't extinct everywhere. McDonald's Canada currently sells not one, but multiple Snack Wraps: Chicken, Spicy Buffalo Chicken, and Ranch Chicken, each available with crispy or grilled protein. The Canadian menu also boasts four different varieties of McWrap—that's the larger format menu item that disappeared from the U.S. menu in 2016 and hasn't been seen here since. Clearly, there's consistent demand for this item just next door.

Now that franchisees have joined the beating of the drum in favor of the Snack Wrap's return, McDonald's corporate might be more inclined to take notice; the company has a compelling reason to consider the needs of its own operators. With the chicken wrap landscape only gaining more competitors, McDonald's is going to have to move fast one this one. May we suggest launching Snack Wraps sometime this week?