Biggest Flops Fast-Food Chains Hope You Forgot
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While items like The Big Mac, The Whopper, Munchkins, and the Frappuccino have become everyday staples, every success story sits alongside a trove of menu flops that never caught on. Chains pour time, money, and energy into launching the next big thing or copying a rival’s hit, only to watch it fizzle and fade from memory.
There are countless fast-food misfires—enough to fill a reference book—so here’s a curated peek at the standout flops. Some may sound plausible at a glance, such as breakfast pizza or Subway’s claim of fresh-sliced meat, while others feel mismatched from the start, like attempts at healthier fries or KFC branching into roast beef. Get comfortable as we count down the biggest fast-food flops brands would rather you forget.
Kentucky Roast Beef (1968)
In the swinging sixties, Arby’s roast beef sandwiches were building a loyal following, and others wanted a bite of the action. McDonald’s introduced its own roast beef sandwich in 1967, and after Kentucky Fried Chicken expanded into fish and chips and launched Colonel Sanders Inns, the idea of Kentucky Roast Beef arrived.
Las Vegas hosted the concept, centered on roast beef and ham sandwiches. With a $9 million advertising budget and Colonel Sanders’ famed seasonings, Kentucky Roast Beef aimed to franchise nationwide. By 1969, 15 standalone locations existed, and plans touted as many as 400 more to open in the early 1970s.
However, the venture fizzled. By 1973, sites were shuttering or converting to KFC outlets, and by 1974, tensions between Colonel Sanders and Heublein—the corporate owners—were growing. The roast beef and ham sandwiches lingered on at KFC locations through the 1970s, with some outlets offering them as late as 1984.
Domino’s Bake-Ups (1984)
In 1984, Dayton, Ohio, Domino’s franchisee Eric Marcus pushed to turn breakfast pizza into a real thing. The Bake-Up was a 10-inch pie loaded with breakfast-friendly toppings—eggs, cheese, veggies, sausage, ham, bacon—and, for sweet lovers, apples, blueberries, and cinnamon streusel. Bake-Ups ran from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. for $4.95, available morning or night before, with a 24-ounce coffee and a USA Today at no extra charge.
Despite a 95% approval rating from tasters, sales lagged. Marcus told the Dayton Daily News in 1985 that McDonald’s had lost money on breakfast the first two years and Domino’s was losing more than expected. After the trial, the Bake-Up was discontinued. The idea resurfaced in 2010 with the Dayton area’s first 24-hour Domino’s, and the concept found modest success, expanding to all-day service at some locations by 2017, but the Bake-Up itself faded again, and the 24-hour store shut in 2019.
McDonald’s McPizza (1985)
Pizza at McDonald’s repeatedly reappeared in tests. The first McPizza hit Philadelphia in 1985, essentially an adapted apple-pie crust with pizza fillings. By 1987, a 7-inch personal pie appeared in Utah and Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1989, the full-scale McPizza debuted—an ambitious 14-inch pie that required kitchen and drive-thru remodeling in Evansville, Indiana.
Despite significant investment and publicity, McPizza never became a national staple. Canada tried it briefly before pulling the plug. In some markets it persisted until 2017, when HQ ordered ovens off in Pomeroy, Ohio, and Spencer, West Virginia. Today, the only convenient way to try McPizza might be at the world’s largest McDonald’s in Orlando.
Burger King’s Herb Campaign (1985)
Burger King’s “Herb” campaign introduced the mysterious, perpetually absent man who supposedly spent his life outside a BK. The nationwide hunt culminated in two Super Bowl XX spots, and a promotional gimmick where customers could spot Herb for $5,000 and a chance at a larger prize.
The campaign boosted brand awareness but failed to translate into stronger sales. It cost around $40 million, and critics later suggested Herb might have benefited from being a more appealing figure. The agency behind the effort was replaced a year later, and Herb’s public life faded. When the actor passed away in 2022, his obituary noted his role as Herb.
Jack In The Box Renaming to Monterey Jack’s (1985)
Jack In The Box has long wrestled with its identity. In 1985, the company experimented with a more mature mascot, renaming the brand to Monterey Jack’s, with the aim of appealing to a market with fewer families and more upscale diners.
The transformation brought salads, croissant breakfast sandwiches, and a decor upgrade featuring Tiffany lamps and brass rails. The campaign included print lines like “The Best Known Stranger In Town” and rolled out to 60 locations.
Yet the rebrand fizzled and the original name returned after a year. The clown mascot stayed quiet for years, resurfacing in 1994 after a major E. coli outbreak damaged the chain’s reputation.
BK Dinner Service (1991)
In 1991, Burger King experimented with sit-down table service to slow the pace of fast food. Bossier City, Louisiana became the testing ground, and within two months, more than 900 BK locations offered table service. The concept expanded to about 5,700 locations by October 1992, featuring free popcorn and a broader dinner menu with fried shrimp, steak sandwiches, and bunless crispy chicken filets, plus salads and baked potatoes.
Despite some positive feedback, the program failed to stem BK’s decline against rivals. Sales gains were modest, and by mid-1993 the needle pointed downward. The service was scaled back to select locations and eventually discontinued.
McDonald’s McLean Deluxe (1990)
As health and fitness trends surged, fast-food chains sought lower-fat beef options. McDonald’s teamed with Auburn University to create a low-fat beef product with carrageenan from seaweed, delivering roughly 9% fat on a bun. The McLean Deluxe launched in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1990 and went nationwide in 1991 with big TV promises.
After a year, consumer reception was underwhelming, and The Washington Post dubbed it a flop. Despite spending about $70 million on research and marketing, the McLean Deluxe vanished by 1996, later prompting fans to suggest it deserves a modern comeback.
KFC Rotisserie Gold Chicken (1992)
KFC pivoted toward healthier options in the late ’80s, rebranding to KFC and introducing Lite’n Crispy, followed by Rotisserie Gold Chicken in 1992. Marketed as 40% leaner, it rolled out nationwide after a year of investment, quickly becoming a top rotisserie seller with about 2 million orders daily by 1994.
Yet, maintenance problems with rotisserie machines and a string of missteps eventually ended the run. Rotisserie Gold gave way to Tender Roast, Oven-Roasted Strips, and later Kentucky Grilled Chicken, only to exit the grilled-chicken space altogether.
Chick-fil-A Cranberry Orange Bagel (2006)
Chick-fil-A’s innovative test kitchen produced several experimental items, including Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls, Chicken Quesadillas, and a Rosemary Garlic Flatbread. One item never made it beyond tests: a Cranberry Orange Bagel. The fruity, square bagel was served with a breakfast chicken fillet and cream cheese on the side, and was slated for a 2006 launch as part of a broader breakfast lineup.
Executive reflections from Chick-fil-A’s Christy Cook later described it as ahead of its time and not in market readiness. The bagel concept lingered briefly in memories, with a later Chicken, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bagel appearing before Chick-fil-A eventually moved away from bagels entirely in 2021.
Pizza Hut P’zolo (2012)
In 2012, Pizza Hut introduced P’zolo, a 7-inch sandwich concept aiming to rival Subway’s subs. Marketed as pizza-burrito hybrids, the options included Meat Trio, Italian Steak, and Buffalo Chicken, priced around $3 each.
Early reviews were mixed: some praised the warmth and freshness, but many found the concept impractical due to long wait times—about 15 minutes to prepare. Despite heavy promotion at launch on June 4, 2012, P’zolo faded by August and is remembered as a high-profile misfire.
Subway Flatizza (2013)
In 2013, Subway attempted to counter Pizza Hut by testing Flatizza, a 6-by-6-inch flatbread pizza variant in Michigan. Retooled flatbreads became the crust, topped with marinara, mozzarella, and a choice of four toppings.
From the outset, the concept confused customers. NPR joked about pizza’s historical flatness, while a Facebook user described it as “the most fresh stale pizza ever had.” Even Dave Portnoy’s review labeled it only marginally better than a budget option. Flatizza failed to gain traction and was removed by 2015, becoming one more discontinued Subway item.
Burger King Satisfries (2013)
Seeking a healthier image, Burger King rolled out Satisfries in September 2013—crinkle-cut fries with a less porous batter to absorb less oil, claiming 40% fewer fat and 30% fewer calories than McDonald’s fries.
But sales barely moved. By February, U.S. sales had grown only slightly, and many locations dropped Satisfries within a year. In a tongue-in-cheek jab, reports noted the return of Chicken Fries alongside the Satisfries, underscoring the struggle to persuade customers to choose a healthier option.
Starbucks Oleato (2023)
Starbucks experimented with olive oil in coffee, launching Oleato in Italy in early 2023 as an Italian-inspired line infused with Partanna extra-virgin olive oil. The menu expanded to the U.S. and Canada later that year, featuring lattes, espresso drinks, and cold brews infused with olive oil.
Reviews were mixed, and some customers experienced stomach issues. Leadership shifted during the year, and new CEO Brian Niccol moved to distance the brand from Oleato, ultimately removing the line from stores. The brief Oleato chapter ended with a quick retreat and a return to core offerings.
Subway Freshly Sliced Meats (2023)
Subway has long prided itself on freshness. In 2023, the chain invested $80 million in meat slicers to equip 20,000 franchisees with fresh-sliced meats as part of a broader quality push. While the upgrade aimed to improve actual and perceived sandwich quality, it introduced new challenges: longer prep times and increased waste from near-expiration inventory, especially in low-volume stores. Though slicers remain in use, the impact on customers’ experience isn’t always visible, and some franchise leaders questioned whether the investment lived up to expectations.
Would these bold experiments be worth doing again in today’s market, or is some brand risk simply not worth the reward? The conversation continues in boardrooms and comment sections alike.
