Taco Bell Is Holding Another Sound-Off on Which Classic Item to Bring Back

Taco Bell is asking fans to vote on which of two 2010-era favorites it should bring back.

While fast-food chains tweak their menus all the time, certain menu items stay firmly-rooted in the minds and memories of some frequent customers. In November 2022, Yum! Brands  (YUM) - Get Free Report-owned chain Taco Bell bought back the Enchirito after holding an app vote over whether fans wanted to see the dish launched in 1970 more than the more recently discontinued Double Decker Taco.

The former won with 62% of the 765,000-plus votes.

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The voting took place digitally on the Taco Bell app and helped significantly spike both downloads and engagement. The contest was, in all respects, such a success that Taco Bell decided to hold a second round.

The Latest Taco Bell Contest Is Focused On 2010-Era Classics

This time, the people can choose between bringing back the Beefy Crunch Burrito With Fritos Flamin' Hot Flavored Corn Chips and the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos — both products were launched in the early 2010s as the chain first started to partner with Pepsico  (PEP) - Get Free Report's Frito-Lay for what were then extremely unusual fast and snack food combinations.

The Beefy Crunch Burrito includes ground beef, rice and cheese inside a tortilla alongside Hot Fritos. The Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Tacos, meanwhile, have the seasoned beef, lettuce and cheddar cheese inside a taco shell dusted with the Doritos Cool ranch flavor.

"Both Flamin' Hot Fritos and Cool Ranch Doritos are a mainstay in the snacking category with a cult-following of their own," Scott Finlow, CMO at PepsiCo Foodservice, said in a statement. "When it comes to creating unique culinary offerings with these products, we’re all in, and we 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."

As in previous years, fans can make their voices heard by going into the Taco Bell app and casting a vote between now and April 12. Multiple votes are allowed and particularly passionate ones can cast a vote a day until the final winner is announced on April 13.

Fast Food Chains Often Base Their Menus On Customer Demand

The dates and locations of the return will be announced at another point following the contest.

"We've heard our fans' passionate pleas and seen their grassroots campaigns – and even tattoos – for us to reintroduce former menu items, and now, it's up to these fan-made movements to decide which item comes out a winner," Dane Mathews, who heads marketing at Taco Bell, said in a statement.

Taco Bell is, in general, quite responsive to fan opinions on its products. In August 2022, chief executive Mark King issued a solemn promise never to take away the Mexican Pizza after the outcry that occurred when Taco Bell brought it back and had to repull after supply ran out just a few weeks later.

More recently, the chain has also listened to customers who "have relentlessly championed" the return of its 1990s-style Volcano Menu. The extra-spicy Volcano Burrito and Taco as well as the spicy nacho Lava sauce will be available from June 29 for a limited time.

"From petitions, to recreating their own DIY alternatives from home, Taco Bell fans took to social advocating for the return," the chain said in a statement.