Why did Taco Bell stop the taco salad? (What to know!)
Longtime Taco Bell fans will remember its Fiesta Taco Salad. It’s essentially a tortilla shell, and customers can choose which toppings to fill.
It was a popular dish on the breakfast menu, but the restaurant stopped serving it in 2020. Power Menu Bowl instead, which resulted in many disgruntled customers.
Why did Taco Bell stop the taco salad?
Taco Bell stopped selling Taco Salad and more than a dozen other items in the first quarter of 2020 to streamline operations and enhance the ordering process. Furthermore, the item is not economical because the shells prepared in the morning will spoil by the evening.
To learn more about Taco Bell’s Taco Salad, read on…
What is a Fiesta Taco Salad?
Fiesta Taco Salad, known to fans as Taco Salad, is a breakfast food served at Taco Bell. It’s a round, crispy taco shell that customers can fill with ground beef, onions, lettuce and other toppings of their choice.
Then the pandemic kicked in and Fiesta Taco Salad was removed along with about a dozen other items. The move was highly controversial, and customers were not shy about expressing their dissatisfaction through petitions and social media.
Why has Taco Bell removed so many items from its menu?
In early 2020, Taco Bell removed 13 items from its menu due to “menu evolution” and changing consumer tastes. Some of these menu items include Nachos, Potatoes and Quesarito.
By reducing menu items, Taco Bell can simplify its efforts into more profitable items and free up resources for new product innovation.
The smaller menu also means Taco Bell can serve customers faster, which is important as customers increasingly use online delivery services.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the food industry, many longtime favorites who couldn’t adapt were forced to close their shutters.
Not even Taco Bell was spared, as every fast-food chain was forced to close hundreds of locations around the world. In fact, Taco Bell’s same-store sales fell as lockdown measures forced breakfast and dinner customers to stay home.
There’s just one problem: fans love Fiesta Taco Salad. So what was given?
Why stop a well-loved thing?
The ingredients involved in preparing a taco salad are too cumbersome to be profitable. Since it is a breakfast food, any leftover shells must be thrown away or they will become stale.
Employees also cannot use the enclosure for other items, as it was specially designed for Fiesta Taco Salad.
All of this leads to more wasted time, money, and effort — a detriment to what businesses experience during economic and workforce recessions.
Can you still buy taco salad from Taco Bell?
You can still buy taco salad from Taco Bell, but it requires more steps. The restaurant replaced the Fiesta Taco Salad with the Power Menu Bowl, which is actually the same dish but served in a bowl.
All you need to do is scoop the salad into tortilla shells, which you can get from Walmart for $2.80 a pack of 4.
How to Make Your Own Taco Salad
You can find many recipes that mimic the Fiesta Taco Salad. All you need is some nachos and salad toppings of your choice. This obviously depends on your preference, but a good salad should have:
– shredded pork
– Vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, corn, etc.)
– seasoning
– Garnish (cheese, onions, sour cream, etc.)
Cook shredded meat (usually beef) over medium-high heat before adding seasonings and vegetables. Stir for a while, and then nicely into the tortilla shells. You can also add cheese, sour cream or any other sauce if desired.
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in conclusion…
Taco Bell eliminated its taco salads to speed up the ordering experience and reduce operating costs. The staff had to fry the shells in the morning and they would go bad at night.
Instead, Taco Bell now serves Taco Menu Bowls, which are the same salad but served in bowls instead of tortilla shells.