Taco Bell changed the fast-food game in 2012 when it launched the Doritos Locos Taco. A move that at the time seemed like a publicity stunt opened the door for restaurant chains to work with partners in the snack-chip world.
That may seem obvious now, but it was revolutionary at the time, and the combination of the PepsiCo (PEP) -) snack chip and the Yum Brands (YUM) -) fast-food chain's classic taco led to one of the most successful product launches of all time.
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Taco Bell has sold hundreds of millions of Doritos Locos Tacos, and the product's success has launched countless spinoffs at the Mexican chain.
It also paved the way for rivals like Restaurants Brands International's (QSR) -) Burger King to try its own snack-chip tie-in, Mac-N-Cheetos. And countless other chains have tried their own takes on this trend (although none with anything close to the success of the original Doritos Locos Taco).
Now, Taco Bell is bringing back another one of its popular snack-chip collaborations for a limited time. It's doing that after fans voted to bring back this item instead of another snack-chip-based product, the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco.
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Taco Bell Brings Back the Beefy Crunch Taco
Holding a vote to decide which menu item comes back works on multiple levels. It gets customers talking about the potential returning items and builds excitement for the item that wins, while reminding people about the item that doesn't.
In this case, the vote actually took place in mid-April and the Beefy Crunch Taco, featuring Fritos Flamin’ Hot Flavored Corn Chips, won't actually return until August. That's a long period between the vote and the return, but the entire affair has major social-media influencers talking.
"Taco Bell is bringing the Beefy Crunch Taco with Flamin' Hot Fritos back next month," shared the popular Snackolator Instagram account. "This won the recent fan vote again my beloved Cool Ranch Doritos tacos, so to the victor goes the return of an old fan favorite. They're currently scheduled to drop on August 3rd and feature the awesomeness of Flamin' Hot Fritos for a spicy crunch."
First introduced in 2010, the Beefy Crunch Taco with Flamin' Hot Fritos actually predates the Doritos Locos Taco. It came off the menu in 2011 and has been brought back multiple times since then. It has not been offered since 2018.
The Beefy Crunch Taco comes with beef, Flamin’ Hot Fritos, reduced-fat sour cream, rice and nacho cheese sauce and is wrapped in a warm tortilla.
Taco Bell Has Been On a Major Run
While some fast-food chains have struggled due to economic uncertainty, Taco Bell has been well-positioned as a brand that offers strong value. The chain's first -quarter system sales grew 12%, led by 8% same-store sales growth and 6% unit growth.
"These incredible results build on years of sustained top-line strength as the team executes on its consistent growth formula, which leverages the combination of brand buzz with unparalleled value offerings, mass occasions, and digital initiatives," Yum Brands Chief Executive David Gibbs said.
Bringing back beloved products and introducing new limited-time offers have been major parts of the Taco Bell formula.
"This quarter, Taco Bell created customer buzz around craveable product offerings that included the Crispy Melt Taco and the Grilled Cheese Burrito while still providing everyday value through $2 burritos on the Cravings Value Menu," Gibbs added.
The chain has also been working on driving more of its sales through digital channels, and that has been very effective.
"Taco Bell U.S. is leaning into its digital initiatives to drive customer engagement with year-over-year digital sales up approximately 60%, leading to an eight-point improvement in its digital mix," he said.
