Taco Bell is looking to take a bite of Chipotle’s huge success and is redoing their menu to include more fresh foods.
They’re the latest fast-food chain to announce a menu re-do (Burger King is in the midst of one right now).
Here’s some info from Time:
The chain said Wednesday it plans an early July rollout of a menu addition created by celebrity chef Lorena Garcia for its nearly 5,600 U.S. restaurants. New items feature such ingredients as black beans, cilantro rice, citrus- and herb-marinated chicken and cilantro dressing.
The introduction of items that Taco Bell executive Brian Niccol described as “gourmet Mexican,” is a venture onto the turf of casual-dining chains such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Qdoba Mexican Grill known for higher-quality ingredients.
Chipotle’s numbers are proof of their success in this market: They recently announced a second York County location (in York Township), one of the 150 they plan to open this year on the heels of double-digit growth in the first quarter.
And a lot of it is their fresh food, in my opinion. (Disclaimer: if you’ve never been to the Springettsbury Township location, my advice is don’t go unless you are prepared to develop a full-blown food addiction).
They’re food is not cheaper than any other fast food. In fact, it’s a little more expensive. But when I order steak tacos and chips and salsa, I can taste the freshness in the meat and vegetables.
I’ll have to wait and see what I think about Taco Bell’s new initiative – but if it brings the area more “gourmet Mexican,” I’m probably in.
