No election result will make everybody happy but democracy must be respected even when it comes to fast food menus.
More and more, fast-food companies are taking the democratic route and listening to fan opinions on what temporary promotions should be made permanent or which discontinued items should be brought back.
After a 10-day online voting campaign over which retired menu item should make a reappearance, Yum! Brands (YUM)-owned Taco Bell announced that the Enchirito beat out the Double Decker Taco with 62% of the votes.
The Enchirito Returns (Temporarily)
Between Sept. 27 and Oct. 7, Taco Bell fans could log into the chain's mobile app and choose between the two items.
Launched in 1970, the Enchirito is a soft flour tortilla is filled with beef and beans and topped with cheddar cheese and traditional enchilada red sauce.
It was a very popular dish featured in a number of Taco Bell commercial and jingles throughout the 1970s and 1980s but was permanently discontinued in 2013 to make room for other items.
Those who grow up during that time never truly forgot the Enchirito — it was the source of multiple Change.org petitions demanding its return.
While the Double Decker Taco is also steeped in nostalgia, it may have simply had less time to lodge into peoples' memories. It first appeared as a temporary promotion in 1995 and was made a permanent menu item in 2005.
It was, at the time, also featured in a series of commercials with basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. The "double decker" refers to the layers of crunchy tortilla and fried beans placed between a regular soft tortilla.
The Enchirito fans ultimately had their way and, with over 760,000 votes or 62% of the total, got Taco Bell to bring it back between Nov. 17 and Nov. 30.
"Historians can indulge in the throwback item by ordering digitally through Taco Bell's app, delivery, online or via in-store kiosks at locations nationwide," the company said in a statement.
Not All Taco Bell Fans Are Happy
While the results margin is very clear, some taco fans were not pleased with the results — both menu items were criticized for being too over-the-top by fans who prefer the other.
"Seeing as how the Double Decker is the greatest fast food item to ever exist, I'm confused how the Enchirito is winning the vote," wrote Twitter (TWTR) user Brandon Pierce while the voting was still going on.
But nostalgia is a powerful tool that tends to grow stronger as those who loved the original grow older.
More and more fast-food companies have started to bank into these early childhood associations to influence what people buy as adults.
Earlier this week, McDonald's (MCD) announced that it had started selling Happy Meals for adults while Krispy Kreme (DNUT) recently launched a summer line of donuts inspired by classic Popsicle and Good Humor ice cream products like Firecracker, Vanilla King Cone and the Creamsicle.
Such products are often a double whammy of attracting those who remember and miss the original treat and new generations interested in trying it for the first time.
"These gimmicky offerings have taken off in recent years because they're carefully crafted, not just for physical consumption, but for digital consumption as well," Adam Chandler, author of the book "Drive-Thru Dreams," told the BBC in 2019.
