McDonald's has heard the complaints and is bringing back the fan-favourite Hi-C Orange drink to the U.S. after a nearly four-year absence from soda fountains.
The orange-colored beverage will begin reappearing in select U.S. restaurants this month and will be available nationwide by June. that its return was prompted by boisterous fans on social media that have "passionately asked for us to bring it back over the years."
Hi-C Orange Lavaburst, a non-carbonated drink, was replaced in 2017 by Sprite Tropic Berry, a carbonated drink that was made by Coca-Cola exclusively for the chain. The removal of the beloved drink after about 60 years on McDonalds' menus sparked outrage from irate fans and a petition on Change.org.
McDonald's has created a special website to track the re-arrival of the beverage. It will be updated on a weekly basis and can be used by entering a zip code. Hi-C will join Fanta Orange in McDonald's soda fountains, making its "legendary orange drink roster once again complete," the company said.
Fast-food chains are constantly competing for customers' dollars and attention, and specialty offerings and bringing back customer favorites are a way to try to cut through the noise. McDonald's also regularly taps into millennial nostalgia for promotions, as indicative by bringing back Hi-C since it was popular in the 1990s.
This month, McDonald's already brought back the Shamrock Shake and is adding three new chicken sandwiches in two weeks.
