McDonald's signals the return of its chicken wraps

• McDonald's cut snack wraps from its US menus about seven years ago. 
• On Wednesday, McDonald's said chicken is a $25 billion business for the chain.
• It plans to add more chicken meals, including a McCrispy wrap, to meet consumer demand.

McDonald's cut snack wraps from menus about seven years ago after franchisees and employees complained they were complicated to make. But today, McDonald's announced plans to bring chicken wraps back.

On Wednesday, McDonald's said consumer demand for chicken is as strong as the demand for burgers and revealed it would expand its chicken meals to include a McCrispy wrap. Chicken is a $25 billion business for McDonald's, the chain said during its investor conference.

"Today, the size of the company's chicken business is on par with beef, as the company continues to aggressively expand through billion-dollar equities including McNuggets, McChicken, McCrispy, and McSpicy," the company said in a statement ahead of Wednesday's all-day investor conference.

"This includes plans to offer McCrispy in nearly all markets around the world by the end of 2025 and to expand McCrispy into wraps and tenders. These planned innovations and new menu offerings reflect the Company's ability to test and scale quickly to serve customers."

Fans of the chain's famed chicken wraps should rejoice.

The portable hand-held Snack Wraps debuted in 2006. They were geared to young consumers looking for healthier choices on the go. It was credited at the time for boosting sales at McDonald's.

But after about ten years in the US, McDonald's discontinued the snack wraps in US restaurants because they were too complicated to make.

Snack wraps required workers to steam tortillas and roll the ingredients tightly to fit into slim packaging. Some McDonald's franchisees complained about how inefficient they were to make and demanded their removal as they strived to maintain speedy service times.

McDonald's said core menu items, such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, and French fries, represent about 65% of systemwide sales.

McDonald's also announced plans to expand to 50,000 restaurants by the end of 2027. The chain said this will mark the "fastest period of growth" in the company's history. The chain currently has over 40,000 locations in over 100 countries.

Are you a franchisee or McDonald's employee with a story to share? Do you want wraps back on the menu? Contact nluna@insider.com

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