Few fast-food chains take a strong-selling fan favorite off the menu unless it's a truly seasonal treat.
Starbucks (SBUX) -) sensibly offers its famed Pumpkin Spice Latte only in the late summer through the fall because it's built around fall flavors. The same could be said for McDonald's' Shamrock Shake around St. Patrick's Day or pretty much every chain using peppermint around Christmas.
Other fast food items are offered for limited periods for other reasons. McDonald's (MCD) -), for example, sold the McRib when the price of the pork used in the sandwich fell below a certain level. The same logic applied to Taco Bell when it offered chicken wings for week-long special appearances on the menu.
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In most cases, however, if an item has the popularity of the pumpkin spice latte (and maybe the McRib), a chain puts it on the permanent menu. Taco Bell has famously not done that with its Nacho Fries. Instead, this very popular side dish will pop up on an unexpected schedule multiple times a year.
You never know exactly when Nacho Fries will appear, but a new social-media report from the food blogger Markie Devo has broken the news of when Taco Bell's take on this fast-food burger chain staple will make its return. And to make things even better for fans of the Yum Brands (YUM) -) chain, Nacho Fries won't be the only item returning to the chain's menu.
Image source: Taco Bell
Taco Bell brings back Nacho Fries, Rolled Tacos
In his post, Devo credited a Taco Bell employee for sharing the news with him.
"FINALLLYYYYYY!! Those forkers over at Taco Bell are giving us what we want
Launching on September 7th!! -Rolled Chicken Tacos(YESSS) -Cheesy Jalapeño Mexican Pizza -Strawberry Twist Frost
Launching on September 28th!! -Nacho Fries
In addition to the menu items, the chain will also be adding a guacamole dip as well as a spicy ranch dip for its Rolled Chicken Tacos. Taco Bell will also sell the Nacho Cheese sauce that goes with the Nacho Fries for use with the returning tacos. Those are the same three dips the chain offered with the Rolled Tacos back in 2019.
The chain has positioned the Rolled Chicken Tacos as a snack -- not unlike McDonald's' beloved Snack Wraps, which many people wish MCD would bring back in the U.S.
"These crispy tacos are rolled up with shredded chicken and your choice of Spicy Ranch, Nacho Cheese Sauce, or Guacamole for dipping, making for the ultimate portable snack," QSR Magazine shared in 2019.
Taco Bell bets big on AI
Taco Bell, like McDonald's, has been investing in artificial intelligence. Yum Brands Chief Financial Officer Chris Turner discussed the effort during the company's first-quarter-earnings call. He noted that the chain has added "recommended ordering to nearly 600 additional stores" and the tech is "live in over 3,600 stores in KFC and Taco Bell U.S."
He explained the technology and how it works.
"Recommended ordering is an AI module that recommends the quantity of product a restaurant manager should order each week," he shared.
That has multiple efficiency benefits to the company's chains.
"It reduces the time restaurant managers spend ordering product, improves forecast accuracy, and reduces waste and time-consuming off-cycle orders and cross-store transfers. At Taco Bell, we have seen a 70% reduction in off-cycle orders and store transfers, which frees up our managers to focus on delivering great guest experiences," he added.
