McDonald's to bring back McRib in December

By Tiffany Hsu

Sept. 17, 2012 9:06 AM PT

Fervent fans of the McDonald’s McRib will have to wait past October and November, when the cult favorite usually emerges, until late December, according to a leaked memo.

The sauce-slathered pork sandwich was originally set to be launched from Oct. 22 through Nov. 11, according to a memo from the McDonald’s Operators National Advertising Fund, obtained by Ad Age.

Instead, the popular, limited-time product will appear during the holiday season along with a bigger advertising push that emphasizes its “high-quality pork” and “unique taste,” according to Ad Age.

The delayed campaign is a strategy by the burger giant to parlay the McRib’s fanatical fan base into a year-end sales surge. Same-store sales in the U.S. last December soared a whopping 9.8% amid an unseasonably warm winter.

In the autumn void left by the McRib, McDonald’s will offer a Cheddar Bacon Onion Angus burger along with a similar chicken sandwich, according to Ad Age. In February, the chain is expected to roll out the Fish McBites, about a year after it successfully launched a poultry version.

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The fast food behemoth had an eventful year. It said last week that it would pre-empt expected federal regulations to post calorie counts on each of its menu boards and drive-throughs nationwide.

The company was a key sponsor of the Summer Olympics in London. It launched oatmeal options and began testing deep-fried chicken wings. This month, its operation in India revealed plans for two all-vegetarian outposts.

But the slowing global economy has done its damage. Last week, McDonald’s said its same-store sales for August improved from July, when the company recorded its lowest comparable-store sales in nine years.

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