Wendy's Has Dumped Its Popular Grilled Chicken Sandwich For The New Wrap

Although it will always be most-famous for its iconic square hamburger patties and signature chocolate shake, the Frosty, Wendy's has long been a major player in the fast-food chicken game. Long before the chicken sandwich wars that saw everyone clamber to get a fried, mayo-slathered entrant on their menus, Wendy's was home to the simply named Spicy Chicken, a sandwich that many partisans claim still reigns supreme.

But deep-frying isn't the only way to go when it comes to poultry on a bun. Since 1990, Wendy's has offered an herb-marinated grilled chicken sandwich as a lower-calorie, non-spicy alternative to the Spicy Chicken sandwich. Or maybe it's the other way around, as the Spicy Chicken didn't debut until 1996. Regardless, diners have come to love both of these sandwiches, and as such expect them to be available when they pull up to a Wendy's. But restaurant menus do evolve, and changes have to be made in order to accommodate fluctuations in taste, commodity prices, and more.

Diners, though, aren't always happy with those changes. That's the case with Wendy's latest move, which sees the Grilled Chicken sandwich get the ax in favor of a new item, the Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap. According to a press release, the change is part of the chain's new "Spring-inspired" menu that also includes a Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad and Blueberry Pomegranate Lemonade. Regardless of the new flavors, the removal has left some Wendy's diners with a bad taste in their mouth.

Reporting on the menu change, Today combed through social media posts and found a vocal contingent of Grilled Chicken sandwich fanatics who expressed feelings of betrayal over the move and expressed that they may not be returning to Wendy's any time soon.

The new wrap consists of chopped, herb-marinated grilled chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, and ranch dressing in a tortilla. It is an attempt by Wendy's to break into the popular fast food chicken wrap scene, with other entrants including KFC and Taco Bell. McDonald's, notably, had a line of Snack Wraps and McWraps, but due to execution issues in their efficiency-minded kitchen, the popular items were discontinued in 2020.

This isn't Wendy's first swing at putting a wrap or wrap-adjacent item on their entrée menu. Diners of a certain age may remember that in the 1990s, the chain offered a line of Stuffed Pita sandwiches aimed at those looking for "fresher" food options. Pitas options included the Grilled Chicken Caesar, Ranch Chicken, Classic Greek, and Garden Veggie. And, in 2013, Wendy's rolled out Artisan Flatbread sandwiches in two varieties, Asiago Ranch and Smoky Honey Mustard, both featuring grilled chicken.