Thankfully, BBQ Fritos Were Not Discontinued For Very Long
Fans of Fritos Bar-B-Q flavor were disheartened in 2018 when the tangy take on the popular corn chip was discontinued. Over the years, Frito-Lay has introduced an assortment of various flavors that have tested the taste buds of snack fans including Fritos Flavor Twists Jalapeño Cheddar, Fritos Tangy Roasted Corn, and Fritos Chorizo y Chipotle, but those could not replace the Bar-B-Q flavor that some people craved.
When Frito-Lay pulled its Bar-B-Q corn chip from shelves, some fans were thrown into an uproar. One snacker even created a petition on Change.org. "So much for brand loyalty ... and just another example of greedy corporate America making poor decisions while sticking it to long-time loyal customers," they wrote in 2018, while mentioning that Cheetos Flaming Hot Asteroids were brought back after receiving 90,000 signatures. The campaign to save Fritos Bar-B-Q reached over 33,000 signatures, and four years after the Fritos fan-favorite disappeared from stores it was brought back.
In September 2022, Frito-Lay announced three new flavors across its diverse chip roster for the fall season. Those included Cheetos Bolitas, SunChips Black Bean, and PopCorners Cinnamon Crunch. Among the new offerings, Frito-Lay was also reviving Fritos Bar-B-Q due to "fan love and consumer demand," as a spokesperson told Today at the time. This came after the company had tested and teased the return of the beloved corn chip several times in the previous years.
Frito-Lay tests the market
Even though Frito-Lay said that Fritos Bar-B-Q were back, some chip lovers were still uneasy that it would only be temporary. The author of the Change.org petition to "Bring Back BBQ Fritos!" celebrated the chip's return, but made a call-to-action for other fans of the Bar-B-Q flavoring. "For a few months now, many articles touting the return of BBQ Fritos are on the internet," they wrote. "We need to buy them all and buy them all now." It appeared they wanted to ensure that this time Fritos Bar-B-Q were here to stay, as the chips had returned multiple times before in limited runs.
Two years after Fritos Bar-B-Q were unceremoniously removed from shelves in 2018, Frito-Lay rolled them out for a limited run in 2020. They were available in 1-ounce and 9.5-ounce bags, but only at Dollar General stores, and for a limited time. That test run proved fruitful, as the following year Frito-Lay once again made the beloved Fritos available. For that limited release, Fritos Bar-B-Q were available in major retailers outside of just Dollar General. On the heels of those test runs, Frito-Lay decided to bring the cherished corn chip back, but not before teasing customers about the possible long-term return.
Fans weigh-in on Fritos Bar-B-Q's return
Following the successful runs of Fritos Bar-B-Q in 2020 and 2021, the official Twitter account for Frito-Lay hinted that the fan-favorite flavor could be on shelves once again. "[W]hat if we brought back Fritos Bar-B-Q?... jk ... unless...," the brand tweeted in September 2022. The tease was no joking matter for some fans. "Don't toy with my emotions," one responded.
Of course, all was made right, as the company officially announced on Instagram a few weeks later: "Fritos Bar-B-Q is BACK." This was alongside a photo of a bag of the Bar-B-Q corn chips. Fans flooded the comments with praise. "Give the guy who made this decision a raise," one Instagram user replied. While another voiced their displeasure with the brand's handling of the situation. "Why did they ever leave?!?! Y'all don't know what you've been putting me through," they wrote.
Fortunately, any worries that Frito-Lay may have tinkered with the recipe while it was gone could be put to rest. "BBQ Fritos are back and if you're wondering the answer is Yes they still smack," one snacker tweeted after the chip's triumphant return.