McDonald's officially confirmed last Friday that its well-loved barbecue sandwich is set to return nationwide for a limited time starting December 2.
Although 2020 may have been a year full of disappointments, the news of McRib's comeback, as announced by McDonald's has created a buzz all over the nation.
The iconic barbeque sandwich is set to return to all of McDonald's 14,400 stores this coming December 2 which is currently causing a massive buzz among its fans.
According to USA Today, McDonald's Vice President of Menu Innovation, Linda VanGosen, released a statement saying that the McRib was created nearly 40 years ago and has become the most beloved food item in McDonald's.
She further states that the McRib is more than just a delicious moment for their loyal customers, but a season they will always long for.
The last time the McRib was rolled out nationally was back in 2012. The successful launch was then followed by years of fans begging McDonald's to bring the sought-after sandwich back across America. McDonald's admittedly said that the battle to bring back the McRib had been a long one, and it was mainly fought by fans of the polarizing sandwich.
McDonald's debuted the McRib back in 1982 as part of their campaign to attract customers to its stores during the holiday season, according to Food Network.
McDonald's first Executive Chef, Rene Arend, said that the McRib's creation was influenced by his experience of feasting on pulled-pork sandwiches on a trip to Charleston, South Carolina.
The McRib is made of a pork patty molded into the shape of a rack of ribs and then topped with pickles and onions. As delicious as it may sound, unfortunately, the McRib lacked the staying and star power of other McDonald's food items like the McNuggets. As a result, McDonald's has concluded that the McRib worked best as a limited-time item.
Over the next years, the McRib has been seen on and off the McDonald's menu, causing fans to anticipate its return. There were also occasions when the beloved sandwich popped up regionally as a limited-time offering.
They also did three farewell tours for the McRib back in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The last largest roll out for the McRib happened back in 2012 before it disappeared again from the McDonald's menu.
The anticipation of its return as demanded by loyal fans ushered in the creation of a cult following over the years. This movement eventually led to the development of the McRib Locator Website, which is mainly focused on tracking down the McRib's next appearance.
The creator of McRib Locator, Alan Klein, said that he decided to create the locator in 2008 to help other customers find the elusive sandwich.
Five years ago, Matt decided to buy the domain McRibGate.com to start campaigning for McRib in earnest on social media. Following this, McRib fan club organizers like Matt tried to petition McDonald's to bring back the McRib permanently or at least nationally, and now they are finally seeing results.