Tauranga Georgie Pie lovers will have to wait a little longer after McDonald's announced a single pie will be sold at 11 of its restaurants in Auckland and Waikato.
Starting early next month, McDonald's will begin rolling out their iconic Steak Mince ‘N' Cheese pie priced at $4.50 in seven Auckland stores and four in the Waikato.
Whakatane man Grant Duffield visited the Tauranga Georgie Pie site on Cameron Road during a nationwide campaign to bring back the restaurant.
The restaurant will begin the roll-out in Auckland's Queen Street and Greenlane McDonalds before moving into five Waikato outlets.
It is also not ruling out a return of standalone Georgie Pie restaurants.
McDonald's managing director Patrick Wilson says it is an exciting time for the brand and they have been working on bringing back the popular product since 2009.
Patrick warns the $1 menu is a thing of the past with the pies' original recipe produced with the removal of monosodium glutamate, or MSG, a controversial food additive.
Georgie Pie closed in 1999, but McDonald's still holds the trademark and intellectual property rights.
Since then fans have resented the closure with a ‘Bring Back Georgie Pie' Facebook page created in 2008, gaining more than 55,000 likes.
Last year Georgie Pie enthusiast Grant Duffield began a nationwide petition to bring back the much loved pie chain and currently has more than 12,000 signatures.
The 29-year-old Whakatane man has single-handedly collected signatures and plans to submit them to McDonald's.
Georgie Pie was created by Tom Ah Chee, with the first store opening in Kelston, West Auckland in 1977.
The franchise's best years were in the 1990s when they had 1300 staff and customer favourites such as $1, $2, $3 and $4 pie specials.
The chain achieved a number of firsts in New Zealand. It had the first drive-thru, was the first fast-food franchise to offer breakfast, had the first 24-hour drive-thru and was the first local concept to challenge international brands.
McDonald's stores to sell the pie:
Auckland: Stores in Albany (Coliseum Drive), Kelston, St Lukes mall, Ti Rakau Drive and Mangere.
Hamilton: Stores in Frankton, 5 Cross Roads, The Base and the McDonald's store in Te Awamutu.
9 comments
NO CHEAP PIES THOUGH
Posted on 09-05-2013 11:38 | By MRS S
WHAT WAS A $1 PIE WILL COST YOU $4.50 NOW,IM SURE THE ORIGINAL PRICE ADDED TO THE TASTE.
Georgie Pie Joke
Posted on 09-05-2013 13:15 | By Warehi Britton
One thing you can guarantee is that Mc Donalds will screw it up one way or another. They will look for a cheap option (horsemeat anyone?) to produced the pies and they will end up like all the other mass produced crap pies.New Zealanders should get their act together and make their own pies.
cheese pie
Posted on 09-05-2013 16:55 | By Glen Clova
Cheese pie that counts me out.
cheap $1.00 pies
Posted on 09-05-2013 18:40 | By rozpiglet
couplands Bakery through out the country has awesome $1.00 pies.
What the Warehi?
Posted on 09-05-2013 19:00 | By Blasta
Mac Donald's have always used good quality food. Horsemeat? HORSEMEAT? What the .... Is your problem?
Waste of money..
Posted on 09-05-2013 19:44 | By drgoon
There are far better pies in town than the thing they are about to serve.... I had a pie at a Cameron Rd cafe' / lunchbar yesterday... awesome, and the same price. The pastry was light and crisp and the filling was really delicious. I am interested to see what McDonalds will turn out for a comparison.
(Shakes Head)
Posted on 10-05-2013 09:13 | By maccachic
The pies were rubish it was the fact they were so cheap people bought them. Can't believe people actually wasted there time trying to get this back, there are plenty of good pie shops around just look at the pie awards website.
Grant Duffield
Posted on 10-05-2013 15:29 | By Dawn
I wonder if this was want Grant wanted when he petitioned to have them back ($4.50 pies) or if he was campaigning for the old $1, $2, $3 & $4 pies. Is Sunlive going to ask him for his opinion on this?
untitled
Posted on 11-05-2013 15:52 | By whatsinaname
guarantee they wont taste the same. bp connect pies are the best in town
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