McDonald’s customers have recently had the delightful news that a beloved item was making its way onto the Macca’s menu: potato scallops with chicken salt! (Okay, we know it’s called a different name depending on the area. But for consistency purposes, we’ll be calling Macca’s potato-based menu item ‘potato scallops’ in this article – based on McDonald’s official name for it. Sorry to any members in Victoria and Tasmania – blame Macca’s!)

However, some of the most devoted fans of the establishment have been devastated to learn that the item is no longer available at some locations, sparking an outcry of disappointment from the restaurant’s most passionate patrons.

Introduced as part of the summer menu, the potato scallops with chicken salt rapidly became one of McDonald’s most popular dishes, despite the naming controversy.

Sadly, this item has now vanished from the menu in select stores just weeks after its launch, leaving fans crestfallen.

Macca’s potato scallops with chicken salt became an instant hit among consumers. Credit: McDonald’s Australia

One customer said they were told by her local McDonald’s that they were no longer making potato scallops.

‘I’m livid, that was literally two weeks,’ she commented in a Facebook group dedicated to foodies.

Someone posted on the social media site Twitter that if McDonald’s stops production of potato scallops, they will ‘cry’.

‘Macca’s potato scallops are a myth; they’re always unavailable,’ another added.

It is understood that potato scallops were only available for a limited time from January 11, meaning if your local store is out of stock, it is unlikely that the store will replenish its stock again in the future.

People were upset over the removal of the menu item in select stores. Credit: Matheus Bertelli/Pexels

A spokesperson for the restaurant told reporters: ‘We love that customers have enjoyed another great summer at Macca’s with our limited summer menu. We look forward to sharing more exciting news for 2023.’

One man tagged McDonald’s on Twitter asking them if they’ve ‘given up’ on selling ‘potato scallops/cake/fritters already’.

McDonald’s Australia responded: ‘Our potato scallops have been super popular, so it may be a bit tricky to get your hands on them. You can always check the availability on the MyMacca’s app before heading in.’

This comes after a fish and chip shop owner took aim at the fast food giant, sparking controversy online. Chris Dimopoulos, the owner of Victoria’s Blue Sea Fish Shop, alleged that McDonald’s was taking potatoes away from ‘already-struggling’ businesses to make their potato scallops.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Dimopoulos questioned how Macca’s was able to procure so much supply in such a short amount of time when other businesses are struggling.

‘Just think of the small shops, if you’re pulling that much potato out of the supply chain, what about everyone else?’ He shared.

Mr Dimopoulos vented out his frustrations online. Credit: blueseafishshop/TikTok

Mr Dimopoulos took to social media to voice his concerns.

‘For me, it’s more about “Where are these potatoes coming from?”,’ he said on TikTok.

He added: ‘You’ve got 990 odd Macca’s stores in Australia, and you serve about 1.7 million customers a day...If you sell one potato cake to every 10 customers, that’s 170,000 potato cakes you’re selling, every single day.’

Mr Dimopoulos stated that the food industry had just come out of other shortages, such as dim sims, cabbage, and lettuce.

‘Every fish shop I know around here is struggling to get chips…and they’re stealing all the bloody potatoes,’ he claimed.

Mr Dimopoulos’ claims were met with mixed responses. Many said that they would ‘rather support local stores than fast food chains’, while others said that this was just how businesses worked.

You can watch Mr Dimopoulos’ video below:

​

A spokesperson from McDonald’s told reporters that the potato scallops are a limited offer that will be available for only a month. Apparently stores sourced the potatoes before the shortage even hit the country.

‘McDonald’s Australia has been proudly supporting Aussie farmers for more than 50 years. Wherever possible we prefer to source local, including Aussie potatoes for our famous fries and hash browns,’ they said.

The spokesperson added that their potato scallops are made in Australia with Australian ingredients. ‘We worked with our suppliers to source ingredients ahead of the current shortage and in time for the launch of our summer menu,’ they explained.

Are you curious to know what Macca’s potato scallops taste like? Here are some reviews from Aussie foodies:

​

Key Takeaways

• McDonald’s potato scallops with chicken salt have been removed from certain stores across the country.
• The scallop dish was only intended to be on the menu for one month.
• Many customers have expressed their disappointment at the removal of the item.
• McDonald’s said they sourced ingredients ahead of the current potato shortage.

Did you get to try the potato scallops/fritters/cakes? How did you find the taste? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[Suzanne rose]

My daughter is a manager at McDonald's and said it was limited for one month only.
The reason they have limited items is to see how they sell , if they do well then they usually become a permanent part of the menu.

The scallops were actually really yummy .
I think they were released at the wrong time with the potato shortage but the release date was set before the shortage.

Hopefully they will become a part of their menu these are better than their potato hash browns

 

[ElizabethL]

I tried one. It was nice on the outside but not cooked in the middle. They are much tastier from the local fish and chip shop.

 

[JMH52]

It’s a potato scallop, make you’re own at home. Not that hard to make.. There’s worse things happening in the world today than a shortage of Maccas potato scallop.