The fast-food chain continues to try to move past its Mexican Pizza debacle.
Make a run for the border? Live Mas? Live outside the buns?
In recent months, “why don’t you have the Mexican Pizza?” might have been a more accurate slogan for Taco Bell. The Yum! Brands (YUM) – Get Yum! Brands Inc. Report chain has been in the news and going viral on social media for all the wrong reasons.
Taco Bell delighted its fans earlier this summer when it brought Mexican Pizza back to its menu. That joy, however, was short-lived as the inexplicably popular menu item, which disappeared during the pandemic (ostensibly to simplify the menu), sold out in many locations.
The chain insisted that the demand was unexpected and unprecedented (although many questioned if the entire affair was a publicity stunt). Whether it was a planned failure or an actual one, Mexican Pizza disappeared (with an expected return in September) but that has not stopped the chain from releasing all sorts of new menu items.
Now, Taco Bell appears ready to unleash a number of new menu items (including some returning favorites) along with some deals.
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Taco Bell Trains Employees on New Menu Items
Taco Bell rarely shares news on new menu items before they get released. Sometimes new options get tested in select stores and, in other cases, they get released nationally all at once. One Taco Bell employee shared a screenshot of training materials at the Taco Bell location he works at to a Reddit group devoted to the fast-food chain. Many of the items on the materials he shared have popped up on the Taco Bell website and app (availability may vary by location).
The new/returning items include:
Double Steak Grilled Cheese BurittoSeasoned Beef Grilled Cheese BurittoGrilled Cheese Buritto Deluxe BoxBreakfast Crunchwrap$5 Bell Breakfast BoxChipotle Cheddar ChalupaChipotle Cheddar Chalupa ComboNew Combo #11 Breakfast Quesadilla.
The new breakfast deals seemed to resonate with the Reddit audience which responded to the leaked info.
“The $5 breakfast box is a really good deal. The breakfast quesadilla alone cost $3.50 and you also get two Cinnabon bites, a hash brown, and a drink. My app even has a 15% off coupon for it,” user marygpt posted.
Another user, Weakenicky, seemed most excited about the return of the Grilled Cheese Burrito.
“The Grilled Cheese Burrito has been my favorite of them all. Including items on the menu. The whole thing is just really good to me. I have never found it too greasy, or I haven’t gotten one where the cheese stuck on the paper. I got these so much the first time around. Then it got more expensive the second time. I will for sure enjoy a few of these before it goes away,” they shared.
Taco Bell Tries to Keep Customers Engaged
Taco Bell has been one of (if not the most aggressive) chains when it comes to making menu changes. The company regularly rotates items in and out which keeps its customers engaged because in many cases the menu changes are old items that have a fanbase returning, not truly new items.
This has helped the chain deliver a strong second quarter despite (or maybe because of) the Mexican pizza debacle.
“Despite a complex consumer landscape in the U.S., Taco Bell U.S. knocked it out of the park with 8% same-store sales growth,” said Yum CEO David Gibbs during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. “The team achieved these results through exceptional execution of a well-balanced marketing agenda that sustained brand buzz, distinctive product news, and compelling value offerings.”
