While disappointed customers may be crying “Say it ain’t so, Mickey D” after learning that Lobster Rolls will not be on the menu in Atlantic Canada this summer, suppliers getting higher returns for the prized shellfish are not likely to be among them.
“The increased price of lobster per pound means that we are currently unable to offer this menu item at a reasonable price for our guests. Unfortunately, we will not be serving McLobster as part of our menu across Atlantic Canada,” McDonald’s Canada spokesman Adam Grachnik told CBC News on June 7.
Prior to the announcement outlets on Prince Edward Island were reportedly offering the popular summer menu staple at $11.99, which is $2 above last year’s price in Canada and $3 higher than outlets charged in the USA northeast. Presumably some diners in PEI were not too happy about paying for the increase.
Local lobstermen are said to be currently fetching between $6 to $7 per pound by freezers and canners, while the price is $6.50-$7.50 a pound for market lobsters.
“The national and international market for our lobster is as good as it’s ever been. That’s what’s driving the price,” said Dennis King, executive director of the PEI Seafood Processors Association. “The US market is still the biggest marketplace for our lobster. China is coming on very hot as well, as are some other Asian countries.”
There’s no official word yet on the prospect that Lobster Rolls will reappear on menus in the United States any time soon, but with pricing such as it is, one can speculate that Americans may have to settle for hamburgers, fillet-o-fish sandwiches and McChicken offerings for the time being.
In June of 2016 approximately 600 McDonald’s restaurants throughout New England and the Albany, New York area added McLobster to their summer menus. A seasonal favorite, the Lobster Roll is traditionally prepared and made with 100 percent North Atlantic lobster meat lightly tossed with mayonnaise in a stainless steel bowl, layered on crisp leaf and shredded lettuce and served chilled on a home-style toasted roll.
An instant sensation, the Lobster Roll returned to McDonald’s menu last summer for the first time in a decade, creating buzz among media and consumers alike. Fans in New England and beyond rushed to restaurants to get a taste of the summer staple, which garnered rave reviews for its quality and value.
