McDonald's is adding 3 new pastries to its menu, as its All Day Breakfast lineup remains in purgatory

• McDonald's is adding three new pastries to its all-day menu — the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin, and Cinnamon Roll.
• Fast-food breakfast sales plummeted during the pandemic, with McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski promising to recapture breakfast business as customers return to restaurants.
• While these new pastries will be available all day, McDonald's All Day Breakfast classics such as McMuffins and McGriddles are not — and may never return as lunch or dinner options.

McDonald's is launching some new bakery items.

On Wednesday, McDonald's announced it is rolling out three new pastries: the Apple Fritter, Blueberry Muffin, and Cinnamon Roll. The three items will be marketed as the McCafé Bakery lineup, and will be available all day across the US.

The change comes as many customers are changing up their breakfast routines. With fewer people commuting to work, McDonald's breakfast sales plummeted earlier this year.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors in August that there would be a "re-dedication from a marketing and investment standpoint" to rebuilding breakfast sales, hinting that the chain was working on new menu items.

"We're continuing our breakfast innovation by adding tasty new sweet options with our new McCafé Bakery lineup," Linda VanGosen, McDonald's USA's vice president, brand and menu strategy, said in a statement.

"We know our customers deserve a break now more than ever, and are excited to give them another reason to visit their favorite breakfast destination by offering delicious flavors they crave, any time of the day," VanGosen continued.

The return of McDonald's All Day Breakfast remains a mystery

McDonald's has been on a roll recently, with the successful launch of the Travis Scott Meal and spicy nuggets. However, while customers have flocked to the fast-food chain for recent promotions, some have been wondering about the return of an old favorite — All Day Breakfast.

McDonald's stopped serving All Day Breakfast in late March due to the pandemic. Months later, it still has not returned. McDonald's recently told Business Insider that the company "removed All Day Breakfast from the menu to simplify operations in our kitchens, which we saw provided better speed of service and order accuracy."

Many franchisees and employees are rallying against the return of All Day Breakfast. Cutting back on the menu has allowed locations to speed up service and reduce complexity at a time when the drive-thru is more important than ever.

"I absolutely do not think we should bring it back," one employee told Business Insider.

A representative for McDonald's told Business Insider the chain has no update on plans to bring back All Day Breakfast.