(NEXSTAR) – Last week, ice cream fans were shocked to learn a beloved novelty treat, the Choco Taco, was being discontinued by Klondike. Now, following an overwhelming response online – and a senator joking that the Defense Production Act should be used to save the treat – it appears that the Choco Taco may not be gone long.
Klondike has been responding to tweets from disappointed customers since the announcement that Choco Taco was no more. In one thread that started on Tuesday, a user said they had been searching everywhere to find one last Choco Taco.
Klondike responded, “We know this is disappointing – we’ve heard our fans, and we’re hoping to bring this favorite treat back to ice cream trucks in the coming years!”
The same response was given to a number of other Twitter users but no additional information has been shared. Klondike did not immediately respond to Nexstar’s request for comment.
Late last week, Klondike tweeted that the Choco Taco being discontinued is “not a PR stunt.”
“I knew you loved me, but not THIS much. While I reflect on this outpouring of support, we are discussing next steps, including what to do with the last 912 (we counted) tacos at HQ,” a Thursday tweet, from the view of the Choco Taco, read.
The Choco Taco, which features fudge-swirled ice cream in a chocolate wafer reminiscent of a hard taco shell, has been around since the 1980s. It gained popularity when it partnered with Taco Bell, but was off the menu for seven years until a return to select locations in February.
That return was short-lived though. A spokesperson for Klondike told Nexstar that, “Over the past 2 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.”
You may still be able to find Choco Tacos at retailers as they sell through their remaining inventory.
Those that still have Choco Tacos have been trying to capitalize on their cold commodity. On auction sites like eBay, some sellers were listing the tacos for as much as $1,000. One listing hoped to excite the imagination with the description: “Sealed Klondike Choco Taco Shipped with Dry Ice – frozen GOLD.”
While there didn’t appear to be much interest at those valuations, a box of 22 garnered multiple bids and was already at $232.50 with seven days remaining in the auction.
After news broke of the taco’s end, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joked that he would introduce legislation to use the Defense Production Act to “mandate the continued manufacture of Choco Tacos.” There are, of course, no actual plans to use Congress’s power to keep the treat on the market.
Jeremy Tanner contributed to this report.