McDonald’s is bringing back one of its most popular drinks, following a growing outcry on social media by customers looking for a bit of nostalgic comfort food and drink.
The company’s orange-flavored Hi-C drink—technically called “Hi-C Orange Lavaburst” but colloquially known as “orange drink”—will return nationwide in June after a four-year absence.
“Your tweets, DMs, and petitions asking for its return gave our social media community manager a LOT of content to choose from for an important menu team meeting this morning,” the company said in a press release.
Last week, McDonald’s hinted the outcry had been heard.
The orange drink made its menu debut at the fast-food chain in 1955—and many stores often donated it to schools and social gatherings, which made it a part of many people’s treasured memories.
While the nationwide rollout is still a few months away, some stores will begin receiving the beverage as early as this month. McDonald’s has set up a website, which will go live next week, to let fans track if it’s available near them.
Fast-food restaurants often shake up their menu—and McDonald’s has made a science of the practice, making some popular items available for just a brief period each year. That scarcity has made things like the Shamrock Shake, the Filet-O-Fish, and the McRib even more popular with customers.
The callback to the past with the orange drink comes as the company also looks to the future, recently announcing plans to add three new chicken sandwiches to its menu as it tries to keep up with Chick-fil-A’s rapid growth and the overwhelming 2019 popularity of Popeyes chicken sandwich.
