If you spend any time scrolling through Taco Bell’s Insta-account, then you might have noticed that a tremendous percentage of the comments on its posts are all-caps requests for the return of discontinued menu items.
Before you type something like “Where’s my Bell Beefer?” you might want to open the Taco Bell app instead. From now until Wednesday. April 12, the California-based chain is hosting a fan vote to decide which well-loved (but long-gone) menu item will be returning to its restaurants. The two candidates are the Flamin’ Hot Fritos-filled Beefy Crunch Burrito, which was last available in 2018, or the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, which haven’t been on the menu since 2019.
“We’ve heard our fans’ passionate pleas and seen their grassroots campaigns — and even tattoos — for us to reintroduce former menu items,” Dane Mathews, Chief Digital Officer at Taco Bell, said in a statement. “Our fans rigorously turn to our social media to voice their menu item love and we’re excited to give them the opportunity to redistribute that passion through this unique in-app voting experience that impacts real change on our menus!”
Taco Bell Rewards Members can open the Taco Bell app to vote once a day, every day through April 12 to determine which one will be coming back for a limited-time. The winner will be announced on April 13.
“Both Flamin’ Hot Fritos and Cool Ranch Doritos are a mainstay in the snacking category with a cult-following of their own,” Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo Foodservice, said. “[W]e couldn’t be more excited to combine forces with Taco Bell once again to bring one of these beloved menu items back for a limited time. Like Taco Bell, we’re hungry to meet our consumers where they are and can’t wait to see which menu item earns the fan-favorite title.”
This is the second time that Taco Bell has used a fan vote to decide which menu-fave made its triumphant return. Last year, more than 765,000 votes were cast in a heated matchup between the Enchirito and the Double Decker Taco. (The Enchirito won out so, at least for now, the DDT is only available in our hearts.)
Last week, Taco Bell announced that its Volcano Menu — including the Volcano Burrito, Volcano Taco, and the hot-and-creamy Lava Sauce — will be returning on Thursday, June 29. It has also resurrected the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito and the Bacon Club Chalupa, both for a limited time.
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