After a day of online backlash from disappointed fans, McDonald’s now says it will bring back its elusive Szechuan Sauce — for real this time.
“Szechuan Sauce is coming back once again this winter. And instead of being one-day-only and limited to select restaurants, we’re brining more — a lot more — so that any fan who’s willing to do whatever it takes for Szechuan Sauce will only have to ask for it at a nearby McDonald’s,” the fast-food chain said in a statement.
Customers were furious about shortages of the dipping sauce after McDonald’s announced last week that it would revive it for one day only in select stores. The precious condiment, first unveiled in 1998 as a promotion for the Disney film Mulan, was brought back in response to petition launched after it was mentioned in the Adult Swim cartoon series Rick and Morty, catapulting the sauce to cult status among the show’s loyal millennial fan base.
When McDonald’s brought back the sauce at select locations on Oct. 7 as part of its promotion for a new chicken product, eager customers were left frustrated by stores either running out of the dip or not offering it at all, as promised. The shortage also spurred a resale market on eBay, where one bundle of three unsealed packs of Szechuan Sauce was sold for more than $840. Another single, unopened packet was nearing a $1,000 bidding price at time of writing.
