McDonald's brought Twister Fries back to its menu after a two-year hiatus, delighting fans of the curly, slightly spicy take on the classic fried potato.
Social media erupted in celebration, proving how Twister Fries are well-loved by customers, enough for them to tap McDonald's instead of Jollibee on their delivery apps. It even earned shade from local french-fry chain Potato Corner, which reminded Filipinos on Facebook that Loopys, its version of the curly fries, never left.
But if Twister fries, alongside another seasonal offering McSpicy, are so well-loved, why can't they just stay forever on the McDonald's menu? The answer is in the question itself.
"Just like all things in life, there is a level of excitement from the comeback of things we love— McDonald’s limited time offerings like Twister Fries and McSpicy are no exceptions to this. We see how customers continue to get excited over the return of these menu items and it has become something to watch out for and look forward to," Oliver Rabatan, Mcdo's Assistant VP for Marketing and Channels, told reportr.
As a global brand, McDonald’s is known for its World Famous Fries, which the fast food giant considers as one of the drivers of the business. Filipino consumers in particular love it so much, and "every so often they still long for a 'twist' on their favorite, and this is where our Twister Fries come in", said Rabatan.
With this limited availability, the company said there is always "a significant increase in interest and sales whenever it makes a comeback". Hence, its availability in stores is good news not just for the Twister Fries-loving consumers, but for the business as well, he said.
To put it simply—it's a marketing tool.
McDonalds is known for its "Speedee Service System", which was not only instrumental to its growth as a fast food company; it revolutionized the restaurant industry as a whole. Started by brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald in San Bernardino, California, McDonald's first restaurant opened in 1940 originally as a drive-in restaurant with a wide selection of menu items.
Noting how sales dwindled over time, the founders initiated a revamp in 1948, simplifying their menu to just the nine items they noticed customers always bought. These included hamburgers, cheeseburgers, three soft drink flavors in one 12-ounce size, milk, coffee, potato chips and pie. The whole concept was aimed at producing huge quantities of food at low price and at such speed no other restaurant could offer before.
The system is mechanical at best, except that its one employee focusing on making dozens of pieces of one item in just a matter of minutes. Business-wise and for customers who are often in a hurry, the system very much works. In terms of labor conditions, however, there remain much to be said regarding the welfare of service workers in fast food companies like McDonalds.
Over the years, McDonald's menu grew from just 15 items, as the company itself grew internationally. Its current net worth stands at $180 billion.
Could Twister Fries become permanent?
"That’s definitely a possibility we can explore. At McDonald’s we observe a 'customer obsessed' philosophy, which means our customers are always at the center of everything we do. We observe what they like and dislike, and we use those insights as guidance for our product launches and campaigns," said Rabatan, Mcdo's Assistant VP for Marketing and Channels.
Before, McDo's chocolate and strawberry shakes used to be limited offers as well until the company said last year they were here to stay upon demand of customers. Who knows, apart from Twister and McSpicy, maybe there's also a chance for the #BTSMeal to stay for good?
"For now, Twister Fries remains a Limited Time Offering, but we’ll continue to observe our customers’ feedback on our products and won’t be closing our doors to the possibility of making some menu offerings permanent," he said.
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