Claim: Burger King created a fake 'discontinued' sandwich from the 1970s for nostalgia purposes.
Example: [Collected via e-mail, January 2015]
A friend has claimed the Burger King Yumbo didn't exist. In fact, no one can remember it. Is it "false hype" to lure in consumers, trying to steal the hype over the McRib.
Origins: Shortly after Burger King announced in December 2014 it was resurrecting the Yumbo sandwich, hundreds of potential customers read the news and wondered: What is a Yumbo?
I'm sorry Burger King I don't remember the Yumbo.
— Jeff Abbott (@JeffAbbott) December 21, 2014
I have vague, misty memories of the 70's @BurgerKing, and I don't remember anything called a Yumbo I think you're full of it
— Böb Jänke (@Bob_Janke) December 21, 2014
Soon a rumor started circulating claiming the Yumbo never existed and Burger King had invented the sandwich in an attempt to manufacture nostalgia for an imaginary menu item. Although many people had trouble remembering this ham and cheese hoagie, the Yumbo was not a corporate conspiracy manufactured to oust McDonald's McRib as fast food's most mysterious sandwich.
One reason for the confusion surrounding the Yumbo may stem from the fact that the majority of social media users weren't alive in the 1970s. A Pew Research study conducted in 2013 found the majority of Twitter users were between the ages of 18 and 29, which makes them too young to recall a sandwich that was discontinued in 1974.
Fast food demographics could also explain why some people are having a hard time remembering the Yumbo. A Gallup Poll in 2013 found adults between the ages of
Finally, the Yumbo may have been forgotten by most 1970s Burger King customers simply because the sandwich
Avoid this mess and don't fall into the "lowest common denominator pit". I know this is just fast food, but the YUMBO Hot
The original Yumbo may not have been a favorite at Burger King, but it certainly did exist. It has appeared on several "Discontinued Fast Food Items" lists over the years and was included in a 1970s commercial about BK's specialty sandwiches:
Last updated: 6 January 2015
