Taco Bell has never been bound by what most people would consider traditional Mexican food. Instead, the chain has used the flavors and ingredients of Mexican food as a jumping-off point to craft new takes on the classics and entirely unique items that might riff off of favorites from other culinary traditions.
Mexican Pizza might be the best example of this. It used ingredients from the Taco Bell menu to create something that's unique. It's most certainly not a traditional pizza, nor is it classic Mexican food.
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The Yum Brands (YUM) chain has had its biggest success by being willing to try new things. The Doritos Locos Taco, while it seems pretty mild now, was actually considering a daring departure for the chain when it was introduced in 2012.
Taco Bell's biggest departure, however, may have been its efforts to make a McDonald's (MCD), Burger King, and fast-food burger chain classic its own. When the chain introduced Nacho Fries, however, they seemed like an instant fit on the chain's menu.
Sure, they weren't classic french fries, but Nacho Fries -- really crispy fries coated in spices and served with a side of nacho cheese sauce -- clearly make sense on the Taco Bell menu. Since they were first introduced as a limited-time-offer (LTO) in January 2018, the chain has brought back Nacho Fries a number of times and has offered a number of different takes on the modern classic.
Now, news has leaked that the chain plans to bring back Nacho Fries, but not in the way you might expect.
Image source: Taco Bell
Nacho Fries Are Not a Permanent Menu Item
While fans have asked for it, Taco Bell has not made Nacho Fries a permanent menu item. In fact, the fast-food giant has made it very clear that the fan favorite will not be a regular offering.
"Nacho Fries come and go every year and are not on the Taco Bell menu right now. Check back later for updates on when Nacho Fries will return.," the chain's website shared.
The return, however, seems imminent, according to some leaked internal documents reported on by Fast Food Post.
"For this limited-time offering, Taco Bell is reportedly teaming up with Texas-based hot sauce company Yellowbird to release a new product called Yellowbird Nacho Fries that’s made with a new Spicy Habanero Ranch sauce," the website shared.
Taco Bell has offered a number of variations of its Nacho Fries since the original version first came out. The latest take will come with "boldly seasoned, golden fries topped with steak, shredded cheese, nacho cheese sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, diced tomatoes, and creamy Yellowbird Sauce."
Taco Bell will also be selling the Yellowbird Sauce in $1 individual packets while the Nacho Fries are expected to cost $4.99, according to a DoorDash test menu. Prices may vary by market.
And, while the date has not been confirmed, the leaked materials show April 13 as when the new limited-edition fries will hit Taco Bell menus.
Taco Bell Mixes Value and Variety
Taco Bell has used two strategies to keep customers visiting its brand. It mixes its menu up often and it has continued to focus on offering strong value to consumers. That led to 14% overall growth in the U.S. and an 11% increase in sales in the fourth quarter.
"Overall, Taco Bell did a terrific job this quarter at balancing both ends of the consumer spectrum by featuring premium products that our consumers crave, such as the Grilled Cheese Burrito with sharply priced items like Nacho Fries," Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs said during the Q4 earnings call.
Taco Bell's success has also fueled some major growth for the chain.
"The Taco Bell division opened 253 gross new units in Q4 and 496 restaurants for the full year. In fact, Taco Bell U.S. opened 250 gross new units this year, the second-highest annual amount ever. For 2022, Taco Bell International set a record with 246 gross new units, exceeding the prior record of 179 units set last year," CFO Chris Turner shared during the call.
