The Most Popular Fast Food News of 2024

Wendy’s Planned to Introduce Uber-Style Surge Pricing

Wendy’s made major waves in February when it announced that it was considering implementing dynamic pricing across its stores, with CEO Kirk Tanner stating on an investor call that “Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling.”

This news was instantly alight on social media, with many people threatening to boycott the brand. However, Wendy’s later clarified that it meant it would offer temporary discounts, not that it would be charging more at certain times.

“This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants,” a statement by the brand read. “Digital menu boards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day.”

The McDonald’s McRib Is Officially Back for a Limited Time — but There’s a Catch

Very few fast food menu items stir up emotion like the McRib. McDonald’s brought it back (once again) in 2024, and fans were pumped. The boneless pork sandwich that’s smothered in barbecue sauce and topped with onions and pickles has become a cult hit in large part because you simply don’t know when it will come back, and how long it will be on the menu. People love the sandwich so much that for a limited time this year McDonald’s was even selling entire jugs of McRib sauce.

Taco Bell Relived Its 62-Year History With a Fan-Favorite Menu Item From Each Decade

Taco Bell took us on a trip down memory lane by re-releasing five beloved menu items spanning its 62-year history. From the classic Enchirito to the Volcano Burrito, each item represented a specific era of Taco Bell fandom, giving us all a taste of the good old days. While the throwbacks were initially only released in a limited number of locations, the fast food chain took them nationwide this fall. And as a child of the ’80s and ’90s, I’ll always say long live the Meximelt and Beef Gordita Supreme.

McDonald’s Collector’s Meal Included a Seriously Nostalgic Keepsake

McDonald’s also entered its nostalgia era by releasing a limited-edition set of collectible cups. Like Taco Bell’s offerings, these were meant to evoke memories of McDonald’s history. The cups were adorned with colorful illustrations of Beanie Babies; Barbie and Hot Wheels; Hello Kitty and Peanuts; Shrek, Jurassic Park and Minions; the Coca-Cola logo; and the McDonald’s logo. The cups were a hot commodity, and fans scooped them up quickly, but you might be able to find some that are being re-sold online.

Wendy’s Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger Cost Just 1 Cent for a Limited Time

Wendy’s made up for the dynamic pricing debacle by offering one of the best deals of the year — a one-cent Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. The promotion was available in May to anyone who made a purchase via the company’s app, allowing them to add the burger to their order for just a penny. A burger for one cent is already great, but making it a cheeseburger with bacon is even better. Here’s to hoping this deal returns in 2025.

Wendy’s Introduced a Brand-New Frosty Flavor for Spring

This year was a big one for Wendy’s, and especially for its Frosty lineup. Over the summer, Wendy’s unveiled the Orange Dreamsicle Frosty, a limited-time seasonal flavor with a blend of orange and vanilla. Once again this treat had customers reminiscing, by channeling the orange creamsicles so many of us enjoyed as kids. Nostalgic? Check. Limited edition? Check. Wendy’s knew exactly what people wanted when it came up with this one.

What Was Inside Taco Bell’s $5 Discovery Box?

Taco Bell delivered a great deal with the introduction of its $5 Taco Discovery Box, yet another part of the highly-competitive value wars. The box included three tacos — the Cantina Chicken Crispy Taco, the Crunchy Taco, and the Doritos Locos Taco — and a medium fountain drink. While this limited-time deal has come and gone, the brand has rolled out others, like the $7 Luxe Cravings Box in July, with surely many more to follow in 2025.

Krispy Kreme Offered $1 Doughnuts for 1 Day Only in Honor of the Olympic Games

Krispy Kreme was no stranger to great deals and limited-time offerings in 2024. The brand churned out new themed doughnuts every month — like some sweet Grinch-centric treats for the holidays — all of which were met with great fanfare. However, its $1 doughnuts in honor of the Olympic games drove the most readership, likely because customers could purchase any doughnut flavor they wanted for the discounted price. Though really, you can never go wrong with an Original Glazed.

How to Make McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce at Home, According to an Ex McDonald’s Chef

Mike Haracz is here to spill all of the best secrets from McDonald’s. The former McDonald’s corporate chef has gained a social media following thanks to his quick videos sharing facts and insights about the brand — including how you can make Big Mac Sauce at home. According to Haracz, all it takes is mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, Dusseldorf Mustard, and a dash of white wine vinegar, along with a little paprika, onion powder, garlic, and white pepper. From there, your own personal Big Mac Sauce stash is ready.  

Sonic’s Blackout Slush Float Was Perfect for the Solar Eclipse

In April, the U.S. experienced an epic solar eclipse that traversed from north to south, putting millions in the path of totality along the way. To honor this, Sonic released a very special Blackout Slush Float. It quickly became popular thanks to its visually striking jet-black color and its “sweet, cotton candy and dragon fruit flavor,” all topped with vanilla ice cream. As a bonus, Sonic even offered free eclipse-viewing glasses with each purchase — which hopefully you kept, because a partial solar eclipse will be visible in North America in 2025.

The Best Discontinued Items from McDonald’s

McDonald’s may want to get inspired by the Decades Menu from Taco Bell, because this year our audience loved reading about the best discontinued items from the Golden Arches. In November, news editor Merlyn Miller rounded up the seven discontinued menu items from McDonald’s that we’d love to see make a comeback, including everything from Onion Nuggets to Cheesy Bacon Fries. We even named-dropped the Snack Wrap, which, lo and behold, is indeed coming back in 2025. Now if only they’d bring back the Donut Sticks, we’d be set.