• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About Franchise Chatter
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Affiliate Disclosures
  • Subscribers Hub
    • Login
    • New to Franchise Chatter? Start Here
    • America’s Most Lucrative Franchises
    • Franchises Ranked by Average Revenues
    • Franchises Ranked by Average Profits
    • Franchise Winners, Survivors and Losers Last Year
    • FDD Talk
    • Search by Name
  • Top Franchises
  • Franchise Earnings
  • Costs
  • Fees
  • Quiz
  • Search

Freaky, Fatty and Fringy: 5 Fast-Food Franchise Flops

Last updated on March 14, 2015 by Laurie Swenson Leave a Comment
in Fast Food Franchise, Franchise Hot Lists, Lists

Burger King's Enormous Omelet Sandwich Photo by Mark H. Anbinder



Learn Which Franchises Can Make You Rich

This Franchise Hot List was written by Laurie Swenson.

From a heart-attack omelet sandwich to a “no-kids-allowed” burger that made adults say “no,” fast-food restaurants have tried and failed more times than they have succeeded. When we see the longevity of favorites such as Big Macs and Whoppers on the McDonald’s and Burger King menus, we sometimes forget about the many menu items that have come and gone over the years.

1. McDonald’s Arch Deluxe: Adults Didn’t Like It, Either

The Arch Deluxe, marketed as a burger for grownups, had McDonald’s betting a reported $100 million or more in 1996 that the burger’s Dijon mustard-mayonnaise special sauce “for adults only” would make a billion dollars. Commercials showed disgusted kids refusing to eat the Arch Deluxe, and a grown-up Ronald McDonald weirdly golfing, bowling and playing pool, but adults didn’t warm up to the new spicy sauce themselves, so the campaign was largely a bust.

America's Most Lucrative Franchises of the Year

The Arch Deluxe started with a bakery-style bun with ketchup, topped by a quarter-pound beef patty, cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, a tomato slice, lettuce leaves, slivered sweet Spanish onions, and what was listed on McDonald’s website at the time as “chef’s sauce, a sassy Dijon mustard and mayonnaise blend.” McDonald’s also called it “A new ‘secret sauce’ for grown-ups.”

“Sassy” and “’secret sauce’ for grown-ups” are clues that the sauce is going to be spicy or harsh and not for everyone, including all adults. For most of us, it just wasn’t that good – certainly not good enough to risk $100 million on.

2. Burger King’s Enormous Omelet Sandwich: Cholesterol Overload

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but Burger King really overdid it in 2005 when it launched its Enormous Omelet Sandwich, which piled a mess of eggs, bacon, sausage and cheese inside a huge sesame-seed roll that had to be held with two hands.

This gigantic breakfast sandwich boasted an enormous 330 milligrams of cholesterol – which drew the ire of nutrition-minded people – but even that was outdistanced two months later when Burger King added two slices of ham to create the Meat’normous Omelet Sandwich.

The Enormous Omelet Sandwich initially sparked a surge in Burger King’s breakfast menu sales, but it fell out of favor with customers who couldn’t justify having one breakfast sandwich provide more than the total recommended allowance of cholesterol for the entire day.


🎯Find Good Franchises That Are Still AVAILABLE in Your Target Area (Free Tool)



🚀How to Find, Vet & FUND a Good Franchise. Watch Our Webinar Live or the Recording Later (Register Now – It's Free)



💰How Much Franchise Can You AFFORD? Use Our Free Financial Calculator


How guilty must you feel when you can’t make it to lunch, let alone dinner, before consuming the whole day’s worth of cholesterol? And how heavy does that sandwich feel in your gut to start the workday?

3. Jack in the Box’s Frings: Seriously, This Should Still Be a Thing

I want to know why Jack in the Box’s Frings (french fries and onion rings combined in the same order) failed. It seems like an ingenious idea to pair fries with onion rings, but it didn’t work for Jack in the Box.

Maybe it was just wrong for 1979, or maybe the fries didn’t measure up head-to-head to the rings, but the Frings fizzled out within a few years.

Maybe it’s time for a comeback, with regular fries or even with curly fries to give the two sides equal crunch. I mean, how many people haven’t waffled between whether to buy french fries or onion rings?

4. Wendy’s Frescata Deli Sandwiches: Nice, But We Want Square Burgers

Wendy’s took on Subway and Blimpie when it launched its square Frescata deli sandwiches in April 2006, but they only made it until December 2007. They were unpopular in part because it took longer to put together the sandwiches than it did to slap a burger and condiments on a bun, but there’s also the notion that Wendy’s was trying to sell cold, reasonably healthy sandwiches at a burger place.

Franchises Ranked by Average Profits

People go to Subway for a sub; they go to Erbert’s and Gerbert’s for a little sub — because that’s what these places are known for. When they go to Wendy’s, they’re usually after those famous square burgers. Well, and maybe some of that chili.

The original sandwich lineup featured the Frescata Club, Roasted Turkey and Swiss, Black Forest Ham and Swiss, and Roasted Turkey with Basil Pesto. The latter (which would have been my fave — anything with pesto!) was later replaced with the Chunky Chicken Salad Frescata, but nothing made Wendy’s customers crave cold sandwiches.

5. Sonic’s Pickle-O’s (Fried Dill Pickles): Disgust or Delight?

Our last menu item examines a mixed bag of disgust and delight, as well as illustrates that not every discontinued menu item really stays off the menu.

Sonic’s Pickle-O’s, batter-fried dill pickle slices, were originally on the menu back in 1968 but didn’t last. They’re often listed as a fast-food failure because they were brought back in 2003 but didn’t stay on the menu.

But if you dig a little deeper, you discover that Sonic’s 2003 reunion with the Pickle-O’s was actually a promotion to celebrate the fast-food restaurant’s 50th anniversary. Furthermore, the fried pickles are only sort of off the menu.

I’m not familiar with Pickle-O’s, but then I live in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes and only one Sonic restaurant. At first blush it seemed really weird to me to dip pickle slices in batter and fry them up. But if you do a Google search for Pickle-O’s, you’ll find numerous Sonic restaurants that still have them on the menu or sell them off-menu. They are beloved by many Sonic customers. You’ll even find a bunch of recipes to make your own.

If you haven’t tried fried dill pickle slices yet (and I have not), maybe you just have no idea how delicious they are. I’m sure you’d like them better than the Minnesota Scandinavian delicacy of lutefisk (codfish soaked in lye), which I can pretty much guarantee will never make it on a fast-food menu.

The Bottom Line

These are just a few fast-food dishes that didn’t make the cut to be on their restaurants’ regular national menu. Many other burgers, sandwiches, sides and other offerings have suffered the same fate. What do you hope never comes back, or wish you could taste again?


🎯Find Good Franchises That Are Still AVAILABLE in Your Target Area (Free Tool)



🚀How to Find, Vet & FUND a Good Franchise. Watch Our Webinar Live or the Recording Later (Register Now – It's Free)



💰How Much Franchise Can You AFFORD? Use Our Free Financial Calculator



Franchises Ranked by Average Revenues and Profits



Franchise Winners and Losers Last Year

Tagged as: Burger King, Jack in the Box, McDonald's, SONIC Drive-In, Wendy's

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous post: FDD Talk: Our Latest Views on the Historical Actual Results of Club Pilates Studios Operated by Franchisees (2014 FDD)

Next post: FDD Talk: Our Latest Views on the Pro Forma Revenue, Expenses, and Gross Profit for Club Pilates Studios (2014 FDD)

Primary Sidebar

🚀How to Find, Vet and FUND a Good Franchise (Webinar)

✅ Is Franchising a Path for You? – Apr. 7 (Fri.), 11 a.m. EST

✅ Popular Trends in Franchising – Apr. 11 (Tues.), 4 p.m. EST

✅ Register Now to Get Free Access to Recordings of Both Webinars

Register Now

🤔Buying a Franchise on Your Own Can Be Overwhelming

✅ Get the guidance and support you need every step of the way (including funding 💵) from an experienced franchise broker at no cost to you.

✅ Fill out this form and a specialist from the Franchise Brokers Association will reach out to you.

⭐️Franchise Chatter is reader-supported. We may receive a commission for leads generated from our site.

As seen in:  New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, and CNBC

Login

Remember Me
Register | Lost your Password?
Reminder: Your username and password are case-sensitive.

Need help? Email franchisechatterblog@gmail.com

👍”Your website and you have been instrumental in finding this franchise opportunity and I am overwhelmingly grateful.” (David F., subscriber)

🏆 Best Franchises by Industry

Best Franchises by Industry (All Lists)

Best Gym and Fitness Franchises

Best Pizza Franchises

Best Sandwich Franchises

Best Childcare Franchises

Best Ice Cream Franchises

Best Coffee Franchises

Best Hamburger Franchises

Best Salon and Beauty Franchises

Best Chicken Franchises

Best Smoothie and Juice Franchises

Best Maid Service Franchises

Best Mexican Restaurant Franchises

Best Massage Service Franchises

Best Tutoring Franchises

Best Auto Repair Franchises

Best Auto Oil Change Franchises

Best Asian Restaurant Franchises

Best Pet Franchises

Best Commercial Cleaning Franchises

Best Sports Bar Franchises

Best Baked Goods Franchises

Best Moving/Junk Removal Franchises

Best Mailbox Franchises

Best Apparel Retail Franchises

Best Senior Care Franchises

Best Restoration Franchises

Best Tech Franchises

Best Travel Agency Franchises

Best Trampoline Park Franchises

Best Tools Distribution Franchises

Best Property Management Franchises

Best Real Estate Franchises

Best Automotive Wheels and Tires Franchises

Best Weight Loss Franchises

Best Flooring Franchises

Best Eye Care Franchises

Best Physical Therapy Franchises

Best CBD Franchises

Best Tea Franchises

Best Ghost Kitchen Franchises

Best Acai Bowl Franchises

Best Poké Bowl Franchises

Best Donut Franchises

Best Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Franchises

Best Window Coverings Franchises

Best Plumbing Franchises

Best Home Inspection Franchises

Best Garage Franchises

Best Barbershop Franchises

Best Laundromat Franchises

Best Storage Unit Franchises

Best Car Wash Service Franchises

🚀 Daily FDD Talk Posts

Best Choice Roofing Franchise

LIME Painting Franchise

milliCare Franchise

One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning Franchise

PatchMaster Franchise

Spray Foam Genie Franchise

Bumble Bee Blinds Franchise

Mr. Sandless Franchise

EverLine Coatings Franchise

Blue Kangaroo Packoutz Franchise

Tommy’s Express Car Wash Franchise

Footprints Floors Franchise

Wendy’s Franchise

Clean Juice Franchise

Nurse Next Door Franchise

Made in the Shade Blinds & More Franchise

Five Star Bath Solutions Franchise

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Franchise

Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill Franchise

Uptown Cheapskate Franchise

Pancheros Mexican Grill Franchise

Squeeze Franchise

Mosquito Squad Franchise

The Exercise Coach Franchise

ProLift Garage Doors Franchise

Heroes Lawn Care Franchise

Burn Boot Camp Franchise

Wing Zone Franchise

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen Franchise

The Camp Transformation Center Franchise

Brightway Insurance Franchise

Owl Be There Franchise

The Dog Wizard Franchise

Scenthound Franchise

Bin There Dump That Franchise

Gotcha Covered Franchise

Phenix Salon Suites Franchise

AKT Franchise

Kitchen Solvers Franchise

FASTSIGNS Franchise

Zoom Drain Franchise

Pool Scouts Franchise

Ace Hardware Franchise

Signarama Franchise

Jovie Franchise

i9 Sports Franchise

UFC Gym Franchise

Sola Salons Franchise

N-Hance Wood Refinishing Franchise

Cost Cutters Franchise

Ziggi’s Coffee Franchise

Franchise Chatter © 2023