McDonald's Celebrated 50 Years Of The Filet-O-Fish With A Complete Flop

The Filet-O-Fish has had dedicated fans since its launch in the 1960s. A franchise owner in Ohio saw his profits tanking during Lent, so he came up with a way to bring customers back,and the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this entrepreneurial stroke of genius, McDonald's thought that releasing Fish McBites would be received with eager customer fanfare. Rolled out in 2013, press releases detailed the bite-sized pieces of wild-caught Alaska pollock, the same fish used to make the Filet-O-Fish. The poppable pieces of fish were breaded and fried and could be purchased in three different sizes. 

Many customers enjoyed the taste, yet some likened the flavor to that of tater tots. In addition to a $1 snack-size promotion, Fish McBites was the first new Happy Meal option McDonald's had offered in a decade. Ad campaigns pictured a dancing fish mascot and a "Fishy Fishy" jingle, and customers were invited to use Twitter hashtag #FlauntYourFishFace to enter to win free McBites. "This song still follows me wherever I go to this day," wrote a user on YouTube. Even with all of this hubbub, the Fish McBites failed to find solid footing, and less than three months after their debut, the Fish McBites were pulled from menus. "I'm still desperately hoping they will return someday," wrote a fan on YouTube. 

After the nationwide rollout of Fish McBites, McDonald's U.S. sales figures dropped, and analysts pointed to other competitors like Chipotle and Panera making their marks on the fast food landscape. Those scouring the internet for proof of the anniversary item have discovered that Fish McBites have made additional appearances as limited-time offerings on menus at some international locations. A similar product, Fish Bites, has also been seen on McDonald's menus in the U.K. and Ireland.

The Fish McBites weren't the only seafood item to flop in McDonald's portfolio. In 2017, four McDonald's locations in the San Francisco Bay Area sold a crab sandwich made on a sourdough bun. Like the bites, the crab sandwich was also quietly discontinued. Given that the McLobster, Fish McBites, and regional crab cake sandwiches ended up in the McDonald's culinary graveyard, the lasting success of the Filet-O-Fish makes it even more worthy of a proper celebration.