Taco Bell has more menu upheaval than many fast-food chains. The Yum Brands (YUM) restaurant has, at least in recent years, liberally rotated its offerings, adding specials, taking away items, and bringing in favorites for limited times.
The chain's nacho fries, for example, are a popular item, but it brings them on and then takes them off the menu. That might frustrate some customers, but it's something Taco Bell does to keep itself in the spotlight.
In 2020, the chain made a major menu revamp, driven by the pandemic and the need to simplify its menu when most customers were ordering delivery or drive-through. That took a lot of items off the Taco Bell menu and President Mike Grams explained what the chain had done.
“We’re constantly evaluating ways to provide a more efficient restaurant experience, and have already begun to see progress from streamlining our menu,” he said.
“While we know fans may be understandably sad to see some of their favorites go, this evolution of our menu truly paves the way for fresh new ideas. The creativity and innovation in our kitchen hasn’t slowed down at all, and we look forward to rolling out new fan favorites.”
That's a promise the company has delivered on, and now it appears ready to bring back a well-loved favorite.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell Goes Green
Taco Bell took salsa verde off its menu in 2016. This classic sauce will make a comeback as the chain has been offering a salsa verde grilled chicken burrito in the Milwaukee area, Brand Eating reported.
"The salsa verde grilled chicken burrito features grilled marinated white-meat chicken, seasoned rice, reduced-fat sour cream, a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack cheeses, and salsa verde sauce wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla and grilled," the website reported.
A test in one region does not guarantee a national return, but adding salsa verde would fit the chain's ongoing efforts to add items that give it versatility. A topping can be used across multiple products, and that enables Taco Bell to offer a number of new items without having to make major changes in its kitchen.
Taco Bell Believes in Going Big
In addition to constant menu innovation, Taco Bell has also been growing around the world. The company sees this expansion as giving it a number of advantages.
"In the U.S., Taco Bell reached an impressive milestone, ending the year with over 7,000 restaurants and ample white space for future developments," Chief Financial Officer Chris Turner said during the chain's fourth-quarter earnings call.
"During the fourth quarter, Taco Bell celebrated más international expansion as Spain was the first market to surpass 100 units. We believe this development threshold unlocks accelerated growth, fueled by the benefits of scale, including supply chain advantages, as well as marketing and brand awareness."
The supply chain has been a large issue in the restaurant industry and Taco Bell has managed its menu around those issues. That's why, for example, it offered chicken wings -- something that brought the chain a lot of publicity -- but for only one week. That was a way to create buzz but also handle that chicken wings have been both expensive and in short supply.
Adding salsa verde fits this model. It's a simple ingredient that adds a lot of menu flexibility. That gives Taco Bell the ability to add a lot of new items without actually changing its inventory in a meaningful way.
