Oct. 24 (UPI) — McDonald’s seasonal McRib returns next week, but apparently for the last time as the fast food restaurant chain announced the legendary sandwich’s “Farewell Tour.”
The boneless pork sandwich, smothered in barbecue sauce and topped with slivered onions, has enjoyed a faithful following as McDonald’s has rotated the McRib on and off of its menu since it debuted in 1981.
But, according to McDonald’s announcement on Monday, the McRib will arrive on Halloween and then vanish forever on Nov. 20.
“Get one while you can because this is the McRib Farewell Tour,” McDonald’s wrote on its website. “Enjoy our famous pork sandwich as if it’s your last!”
The McRib has headlined McDonald’s U.S. menu every fall for the past three years, after it disappeared for nearly a decade. The McRib was designed to be “enjoyed during the colder seasons,” according to Mike Bullington, senior archives manager for McDonald’s. But, this year, the company suggested it is the end of the line.
“Like any true farewell tour, we’re hoping this isn’t a ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you later.’ Because as our McRib stans have experienced time and time again: you never know when — or if — the McRib is coming back,” the company said in a statement.
The McRib has appeared on McDonald’s menu on a part-time basis throughout the United States for four decades. The 520-calorie sandwich is a permanent menu item at McDonald’s restaurants in Germany and Luxembourg.
While response on social media to the McRib’s “Farewell Tour” has ranged from cynical to outraged, McDonald’s is taking advantage of the hype by adding throwback merchandise, including artwork and t-shirts, for the sandwich’s cult following.
