The Wendy’s menu recently got a bit smaller. Amid the ongoing fast-food chicken sandwich wars, the Columbus, Ohio-based company in April made a shocking move when it abruptly discontinued the Wendy’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich, upsetting plenty of fans.
Confirmation of the sandwich’s removal followed weeks of speculation that Wendy’s was planning to officially discontinue the menu item. In the weeks leading up to the news, customers noticed that many Wendy’s locations were seemingly always “out” of the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. The sandwich stood out among Wendy’s chicken sandwich lineup, as it was the only sandwich to feature grilled rather than breaded chicken. Per the item’s description on Wendy’s website, the Grilled Chicken Sandwich boasted “herb-grilled chicken breast topped with smoky honey mustard, crisp spring mix, and tomato, served on a warm toasted bun.” The current lineup includes the Avocado Chicken Club, Classic Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Asiago Ranch Classic Chicken Club, and the Crispy Chicken BLT, among others.
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A Wendy’s spokesperson confirmed to Today that the Grilled Chicken Sandwich was discontinued in order to make room for the new Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap, which debuted in late March as part of a lineup of new “Spring-Inspired” menu items. The Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap features diced grilled chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh romaine lettuce and a creamy ranch sauce all wrapped in a warm tortilla. Other items introduced at the time included the Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad and the Blueberry Pomegranate Lemonade.
“We are always listening to our fans and introducing exciting new menu items to give them exactly what they are craving,” Carl Loredo, Global Chief Marketing Officer for The Wendy’s Company, said at the time, with John Li, Vice President of Culinary Innovation for The Wendy’s Company, adding, “It’s no secret that at Wendy’s, we know Ranch. There are many who’ve tried to master the grilled chicken wrap, but we’re not snacking around with our offering. From our classic creamy Ranch sauce to the warm wrap folded perfectly for people on the move, our team built a wrap that’s worthy of the entrée menu.”
Despite the efforts, not every guest is sold on the replacement. Amid news that the Grilled Chicken Sandwich was discontinued, fans were quick to express their upset, with one person asking on Twitter, “Why did you betray me like this.” A Change.org petition was even created calling on Wendy’s to bring the Grilled Chicken Sandwich back, the petition stating, “Not only is this a poor culinary choice, this business decision would also cause Wendy’s to lose its rightful place of best fast food chicken.”
