McDonald’s dumped New Coke in its U.S. outlets.

The fast-food chain, Coca-Cola’s largest fountain customer, has returned to old Coke at its 7,000 U.S. restaurants. “Consumers, at least in this country, show a definite preference for Coca-Cola Classic, and we feel we need to go along with these preferences,” McDonald’s spokesman Charles Rubner said. McDonald’s had switched to New Coke in the United States and Canada about a year ago, soon after Coca-Cola changed its decades-old formula. Coca-Cola spokesman Carlton Curtis said the decision by McDonald’s was not surprising. “Coke Classic outsells Coke,” he said. “It is understandable that they would want to offer the soft drink that is consumed by more of their customers.”