Taco Bell has a fairly brilliant business model. Most of its menu items are variants of other things that it sells. You can get a taco, a burrito, nachos, a chalupa, and who knows what else that all essentially use the same ingredients but wrap them in a different delivery device.
That means that the chain can add one ingredient -- a new protein, a new sauce, or maybe a changed take on queso -- and use that to really shake up the menu. It's a model that allows the Yum! Brands (YUM) chain to look like it's constantly evolving and trying new things when it really only makes bold bets on rare occasions.
Taco Bell has gone bold at times. It added chicken wings to its menu for a week and, while it may be sort of off-brand, the chain has made Nacho Fries a big thing that people get really excited about.
The chain's biggest recent bet, however, was taking Mexican Pizza off the menu during the pandemic and then bringing it back this summer only to run out of it angering customers. And while the whole thing might be pubiicity stunt, it might be one that did more harm than good.
Mexican Pizza returns "permanently" to the menu in September, but while fans wait for that the chain actually has a new take on pizza that's closer to being, well actually a pizza.
TheStreet
Taco Bell Tests a New Mexican Pizza
When Taco Bell brought the Mexican Pizza back to its menu, the chain made it clear that it was the exact same recipe (although some disagreed).
"The Mexican Pizza was returned to our menu in all its previous glory, complete with the same ingredients of seasoned beef and refried beans between two fried flour tortillas, topped with pizza sauce, our 3 cheese blend and fresh diced tomatoes," the company shared on its website.
That's more of a round open-faced taco or a topless quesadilla, but Taco Bell calls its a Mexican Pizza. Now, the chain has new take on pizza that looks a lot like a pizza.
"Launching in Taco Bell locations in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, the Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Flatbread offers a culinary experience reminiscent of a pizza. It features flame-grilled, marinated all-white-meat chicken, Creamy Chipotle sauce, crunchy tri-color tortilla strips, onion, and a three-cheese blend toasted on a buttery flatbread. Jalapeños are an optional addition for those looking to spice things up," Thrillist reported.
Taco Bell Uses a Classic Tactic
Aside from the flatbread, every item on the new Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Flatbread either already appears on the Taco Bell menu or could be used to enhance others items it sells. That's a smart play because this new item is actually a pizza (or at least counts as one in world where we collectively decided that putting pizza toppings on bread makes it pizza).
Taco Bell has not released any plans to bring this new item nationwide, but the chain generally tests new items in a handful of locations before giving them a wide rollout. It's possible that the company waits until later in the fall -- after the Mexican Pizza returns -- or uses this new item to dull some of the demand for its returning classic in order to be able to keep it in stock.
