The McRib is one of the most anticipated menu item for McDonald’s superfans, often popping up for a short time with little to no warning. But now, the company hints, it could be going into cold storage for a long time after its current run is over.
McDonald’s is dubbing the fall 2022 return as the “McRib Farewell Tour.” Sales of the sandwich will go on sale Oct 31.
Of course, if the music industry has taught us anything, it’s that “farewell” tours don’t always mean the end. In fact, they often are not. But implying that the end is nigh is likely to stir up demand for the sandwich among its cultlike following.
The McRib, in fact, had its first “farewell tour” in 2005, repeating that marketing stunt for the next three years. The longest the company has gone without the McRib was an eight-year stretch starting in 2012.
The love-it-or-hate-it barbecue-sauce-smothered boneless pork sandwich is kind of like a prairie dog, in that it pops up at random locations—and your local Micky D’s might not be one of them, even though the distribution is fairly widespread this year. The chain made it available nationwide in 2020 for the first time since 2012, but last year it was back to “limited locations.”
The McRib made its debut in 1981, but was pulled from the menu four years later due to poor sales. It made another run from 1989 through 2005. Since then, it has been a seasonal item, and the scarcity has made it a legend among fast-food fanatics.
Trying to find one before it potentially goes away for a while? Some enterprising fans have decided to crowdsource their devotion for the sandwich and created the McRib locator, which shows which stores throughout the country are selling the sandwich.
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