The Real Reason Doritos Guacamole Disappeared

The innovators who come up with new Doritos flavors probably thought they were really on to something when they created Doritos Guacamole. After all, the avocado-based dip is a Mexican-food staple, and untold millions of corn tortilla chips had already been dipped in the stuff. Why not save everyone a step and make a guacamole chip?

Doritos Guacamole arrived in 2003, only to be discontinued in 2006. That's basically a whole lifetime ago for the generation that now drives flavor decisions at food companies (via Food Business News), but some American consumers have fond memories of Doritos Guacamole. Some have even become activists and started petitions on Change.org asking Doritos' parent company, Frito-Lay, to bring the flavor back. One of the still-active Doritos Guacamole petitions recently had 108 signatures. Probably not enough to sway company decision-makers, but fans of the guacamole chip in America may have been encouraged to learn that Doritos introduced it recently in England (via Delish).

Maybe Frito-Lay thought Guacamole would be the next Cool Ranch, which was the new flavor on the block in 1986 and has remained wildly successful to this day. But Guacamole's three-year lifetime in America only rates it as a novelty flavor that got a market test run. Why did Frito-Lay pull the plug on Doritos Guacamole?

To find out why Doritos Guacamole went the way of the dodo and Sour Cream and Onion Doritos, we went straight to the source. A consumer relations person at PepsiCo, parent company of Frito-Lay, had this to say: "We understand each brand or flavor will end up being a front-runner for someone. We wish we could carry them all. Regrettably, some snacks must be discontinued in order to make room for new ideas and the ever-changing market demand." Translation: Doritos Guacamole wasn't selling well enough, so they had to try something else.

Snack-food shelves offer more and more spicy options these days. "Spicy" happens to be one of Generation Z's favorite flavors, so it's no surprise that 13 out of 17 Doritos offerings bring the heat. Guacamole, while it typically includes jalapeno peppers, still ranks as mild, especially by the standards of the youngest generation. For this reason, the very un-extreme guacamole flavor may be off the table, for now, in the Doritos idea room. 

On the other hand, while spicy may be a trend, convenience is here to stay. What's more convenient than combining a chip and a dip? We can hold out hope for a Doritos Guacamole revival, especially since Doritos UK is giving it a shot. Here's an idea: If Doritos wants its next guacamole chip to reflect current trends, the company can name it "Doritos Avocado Toast."