Through the late-1970s, fast-food burger chains had very basic menus. In order to offer very quick service, pioneering chains like McDonald's and Burger King stuck to the very basics.
They offered hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and soda. Burgers could be customized by removing toppings, but the idea of adding them to create special meals or limited-time offers did not become a common thing until the 1980s.
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The first custom burger that gained widespread appeal is one that seems as if it was also a staple of these chains, and of their newer rival, Wendy's (WEN) -) -- the bacon cheeseburger. Nothing seems more associated with the hamburger, perhaps aside from cheese, than bacon, but the bacon cheeseburger was not even a thing until the A&W burger chain introduced it in 1963.
McDonald's (MCD) -) and Burger King were slower to fully embrace bacon, but by the early '80s both chains offered bacon cheeseburgers in a variety of ways. Wendy's, of course, has in recent years built its brand around bacon with its Baconator and Breakfast Baconator sandwiches as well as its Baconator Fries.
Taco Bell has now jumped on this trend as well, even though bacon is not a traditional Mexican ingredient. Tradition, however, has never been a major sticking point for the Yum Brands (YUM) -) chain and it has two different menu tests involving bacon.
One of those tests has already finished while the other is ongoing, but it would require a long trip for American fans of the brand to try.
Image source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Taco Bell tests multiple bacon menu items
Taco Bell is not in any way bound by tradition. That became clear when it added Nacho Fries to its menus in order to have an answer to the McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's popular side dish.
The chain has also briefly sold chicken wings and it's now offering a unique bacon-forward menu in Thailand featuring a Grilled Cheese Bacon Burrito, a Grilled Cheese Bacon Quesadilla, Cheesy Bacon Fries, and Cheesy Bacon Chips.
"The Grilled Cheese Bacon Burrito is similar to the Grilled Cheese Burrito offered here in the U.S. but adds on bits of bacon to the browned outer layer of cheese. The filling is a bit different as well with a combination of minced chicken, seasoned rice, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, sour cream, and crushed chips," Brand Eating reported.
Taco Bell has also tested a similar product, the Grilled Cheese Bacon Burrito, in parts of Ohio this year, but in the U.S. version, the bacon is inside rather than on the outside of the tortilla.
"[The] Grilled Cheese Bacon Quesadilla features cheese both in and on top of the quesadilla. Inside the grilled tortilla is grilled chicken and jalapeno sauce, while up top is a grilled layer of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses along with bits of bacon," the food website added.
A bacon version of Nacho Fries is also being offered in Thailand.
Taco Bell grows around the world
Taco Bell has been focused on growing its sales worldwide. Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs spoke about the effort during the company's second-quarter earnings call.
"For Taco Bell international, system sales grew 18%, driven by development momentum," he said.
That success was built around a global partnership with a very famous person who has been known to celebrate Taco Tuesday with his family.
"This quarter, the team launched a campaign to liberate Taco Tuesday in a first-ever global Taco Tuesday campaign spanning 19 markets in partnership with a true global icon, LeBron James," he said.
"The campaign created massive brand buzz with engagement and mentions in one week for Taco Tuesday liberation, surpassing the entirety of the highly successful Mexican pizza relaunch last year."
