However, so far, Klondike is not backing down from its plan to discontinue Choco Taco. Klondike confirmed Tuesday that the summer treat is being pulled from ice cream trucks, convenience stores and grocery store shelves. “Over the past two years, we have experienced an unprecedented increase in demand across our portfolio and have had to make very tough decisions to ensure the availability of our full portfolio nationwide,” a Klondike spokesperson said in an email. “A necessary but unfortunate part of this process is that we sometimes have to discontinue products, even a beloved item like the Choco Taco.” The news comes just days after ice cream maker Good Humor confirmed the demise of another nostalgic favorite: Toasted Almond Bars. Good Humor also cited production issues, saying it sometimes has to cut off slower vendors to ensure distribution of more popular treats. Klondike, which is owned by London-based Unilever, continues to sell cones, shakes and the signature Klondike bar across the country. Invented in 1983 by a former ice cream truck driver, the Choco Taco is a waffle cone shaped like a taco shell filled with fudge-swirled ice cream. It is dipped in chocolate and peanuts. The news of his death sent some Twitter users into a meltdown. “There are bad decisions, like getting a face tattoo or French kissing an alligator. Then there are the horrendously bad unforgivable decisions like discontinuing Choco Taco,” one fan tweeted. Multi-millionaire Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian called out Unilever on Twitter. “I would like to buy the rights to your Choco Taco and keep it from melting away from the childhood of future generations,” Ohanian tweeted. Unilever did not appear to respond. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, tweeted that he would invoke the Defense Production Act to force the continued manufacture of Choco Tacos. Klondike seemed to realize that he had struck a nerve. In a later tweet on Tuesday, the company said it was “working hard to find a way to bring the Choco Taco back to ice cream trucks in the coming years.” A place where Choco Taco might pop up? Taco Bell. In February, the restaurant chain announced a partnership with Klondike, testing Choco Taco sales at 20 locations in Los Angeles and Milwaukee. It was a welcome return for fans: Taco Bell used to sell Choco Tacos but pulled them from their menu in 2015. A message seeking comment was left with Taco Bell on Tuesday. Klondike also did not respond when asked if Choco Tacos could be sold in the future at Taco Bell.
