As far as fast food chains go, Yum! Brands (YUM)-owned Taco Bell is known for taking fan suggestions and internet chatter into account when it comes to menu decisions.
The Tex-Mex chain is currently asking customers to vote on which of two early 2000s-era items should make a menu comeback while the outrage over running out of the Mexican Pizza pushed chief executive Mark King to solemnly promise never to take it away again.
DON'T MISS: Taco Bell Mexican Pizza Fans Take Their Anger to Twitter
First introduced in 2018 as a limited-time promotion, the Nacho Fries are another social media favorite — what is regular potato fries seasoned with a mix of a mysterious "Tex-Mex seasoning" and served with a side of Taco Bell's nacho cheese sauce sold more than 53 million orders in just under two months to become the chain's best-selling menu item ever.
Image source: Taco Bell
The Nacho Fries Are Back Yet Again, With A Saucy New Version
Between 2018 and 2022, Taco Bell pulled and reintroduced the Nacho Fries to the menu at least eight times despite multiple fan petitions to make them permanent.
In October 2022, the chain released a "loaded" version with TRUFF brand's truffle-flavored hot sauce, grilled steak pieces and cheddar sauce as well as a combo box with a burrito and a crunchy taco.
By the winter of 2023, Nacho Fries have once again disappeared from Taco Bell's menus while the item's page on the website asked fans to "check back later for updates on when Nacho Fries will return."
That day has now officially been set for April 13 which is when the Nacho Fries will make a comeback at a slightly more increased price of $1.99. (The plain version with a side of cheese sauce previously went for $1.79.)
For a loaded version, Taco Bell is also partnering with another hot sauce company — the Yellowbird Nacho Fries will come with steak pieces, nacho cheese sauce and the spicy habanero ranch sauce made by Austin, Texas-based Yellowbird.
The Yellowbird Nacho Fries will cost $4.99 while the Spicy Habanero Ranch will also be available as a side to add to any other dish for $1 until August 27.
Just like every other time, the Nacho Fires themselves will be available until supplies run out.
Fans Keep Asking Why Taco Bell Won't Make These Fries Permanent
"While they won't be on the menu for long, the Yellowbird Nacho Fries are something really special we've been working to bring to fans everywhere," Liz Matthews, Taco Bell's chief food innovation officer, said in a statement.
Given the Nacho Fries' strong sales and internet virality, many theories about why Taco Bell won't just make them permanent have circulated on social media. Some fans will argue that it is because they take up too much freezer space while others won't be talked out of seeing it as a Taco Bell marketing trick meant to generate excitement around each return.
The get-it-while-you-can factor generally works well for fast-food chains — in October 2022, McDonald's (MCD) saw visits spike during a dramatic, monthslong "Farewell Tour" in which customers were offered "one last chance" to try the McRib before it permanently left the menu.
"You need consistency because that’s the brand mantra," Northwestern University Marketing Professor Alexander Chernev told CNN of the McRib back in 2019. "But no matter how much you like something, consuming something different increases the enjoyment of what you consumed before."
