Whether you go to fast-food restaurants for the ease of not having to cook your own food, to enjoy the comfort of a familiar favorite meal, or just to see what’s new on the menu, one thing is for sure — most of us make regular trips to the drive-thru.
Some fast-food brands are more showy than others when it comes to changing their menu and offering new items. McDonald’s (MCD) is known for mostly leaning on the classics, although the 85-year-old chain has proved it can definitely innovate as well (we see you, CosMc).
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Burger King is known for endlessly innovating on the Whopper, reinventing it in as many configurations as possible. The Smoky BBQ Whopper. The Mexican Avocado Whopper. The Steakhouse Bacon Whopper. The King keeps making up new combos, and its loyal fans keep on buying them.
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Taco Bell might be one of the most innovative players in the fast-food game, not only debuting new items regularly, but also reaching for really unusual collaborations as well. The giant Cheez-It Crunchwrap was a personal favorite of this writer — and gone much too soon, may I add. But the good thing about the Bell is that even if something really yummy comes and goes too fast, it’ll be replaced with something new soon enough.
Now McDonald’s is adding something new to its menu, and it’s definitely something worth capturing with a photo and sharing for your social media followers to like.
A customer favorite makes a comeback
Starting today, an item McDonald’s Japan featured in 2024 is returning to the menu. It’s the Grimace Shake, and as you might imagine, it’s a delightful shade of purple. But the flavor is blueberry yogurt, and it’s made with real blueberry juice, so it’s surely delicious, too.
The Grimace Shake, back as a limited-edition item yet again, comes in two sizes: a small for 180 yen ($1.25 U.S.) and a medium for 250 yen ($1.74 U.S.). In case you’re wondering why it doesn’t come in any big sizes, Japan doesn’t really do the kind of sizing America does, so a Japanese medium is considered to be a “large” size.
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The Grimace Shake also comes in a limited-edition cup with the purple guy himself on it. McDonald’s does stress that it has limited quantities of said cup, so if you really want to add it to your McDonald’s collection, it would be wise to grab one sooner rather than later.
Customers in the comments on McDonald’s post on X seemed especially excited about the shake, with several posting pictures of their meals today showing it off. One even described the shake as “It’s like Disneyland in your mouth.”
McDonald’s is facing unprecedented slowdown
McDonald’s Japanese customers may be very happy to see the Grimace Shake, but the engaging menu item also would have helped here in the U.S., where the popular fast-food chain saw its worst same-store, year-over-year sales drop since the days of Covid.
Economic worries and the current political climate are behind this. People are worried about rising costs alongside President Trump’s tariffs, with many pulling back on all but necessary spending as they wait to see what will happen next.
McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski stayed positive despite the data, saying in a release that consumers are “grappling with uncertainty,” but that he is still optimistic in the company’s “ability to navigate even the toughest of market conditions and gain market share.”
Related: Wendy’s CEO sounds alarm on disturbing consumer trend
