Klondike Is Giving up on the Choco Taco

The ice cream brand said they've "had to make very tough decisions" after the past two years.

ChocoTaco

Brands often lean on nostalgia to drum up renewed excitement by bringing back classic products, releasing retro merch, or — in an example very specific to Goldfish Crackers — teaming up with JNCO. But whether intentional or not, the ice cream brand Klondike is grabbing headlines with the opposite strategy: killing off one of their most beloved items, the Choco Taco.

Last week, rumors began to swirl that the Choco Taco — the taco-shaped ice cream treat invented in 1983 — had been discontinued. And this week, Choco Taco parent brand Klondike confirmed the news was true.

"The Klondike Choco Taco has unfortunately been discontinued in both 1-count and 4-count pack sizes," a brand representative told us via email. "Over the past two years, we have experienced an unprecedented spike in demand across our portfolio and have had to make very tough decisions to ensure availability of our full portfolio nationwide. A necessary but unfortunate part of this process is that we sometimes must discontinue products, even a beloved item like Choco Taco. We know this may be very disappointing, but we hope you'll try one of our other great products, including Klondike Cones, Shakes, Sandwiches, and of course, our signature Bar available nationwide."

According to CNN, despite being discontinued, Choco Taco may still be available in some areas as retailers sell off the last of their stock.

Needless to say, a lot has changed in "the past two years," though Klondike doesn't specifically cite the supply chain or inflation issues that have beset other brands.

However, one possible hint suggests that maybe the Choco Taco simply wasn't as popular as it used to be. Back in February, Klondike and Taco Bell announced that they were "testing" bringing the dessert back to a mere 20 Taco Bell locations in Los Angeles and Milwaukee. That test was never expanded nationwide, and in retrospect, perhaps one could speculate it was a last ditch effort to drive renewed public interest in the Choco Taco.

But speaking of Taco Bell, the fast food chain may also offer another blueprint for the future of the Choco Taco. In 2020, Taco Bell announced they were axing the Mexican Pizza which triggered a year-and-a-half campaign for its return, eventually culminating with the revived menu item selling out nationwide.

Could Klondike be testing the waters for a similar swell of Choco Taco support? Regardless, the situation seems like a win-win for Klondike: Either the interest is there enough to bring it back, or people are over it and, well, the Choco Taco is already gone. Problem solved.

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