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Taco Bell unveils more than a dozen new menu itemsTaco Bell unveils more than a dozen new menu items

The food ranges from a five-item chicken menu to a Baja Blast gelato

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

February 13, 2024

8 Slides
Taco Bell Big Cheez It Crunchwrap

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Taco Bell is not a restaurant brand that stays quiet. Whether it’s marketing or food, the brand is always at the forefront of consumers’ minds, and the latest news from the company lives up to its expectations.

As NRN executive editor Alicia Kelso reported from the inaugural Live Mas event in Las Vegas, the brand seems to be going in a more tech-focused direction. Kelso compared the presentation-like event to an Apple product launch.

The biggest news to come out of the event, however, was the introduction of a dozen new menu items, as well as some new sauces and seasonings to old favorites.

The five-item chicken menu will be available nationwide starting next month.

 Something chief food innovation officer Liz Matthews said is that Cantinas are the chain’s focus.

“Right now, our focus is on Cantina, Cantina, Cantina,” Matthews said. “You have your classic Taco Bell and then you have Cantina. It’s just a different vibe.”

Additionally, the Irvine, Calif.-based chain is partnering with three chefs from across the country to reimagine its iconic Crunchwrap Supreme: Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, Reuben Asaram, and Lawrence Smith. The new item will be available at select locations later this year.

And once again, the Yum Brands subsidiary is asking its fans to vote on a new item to return to the menu. On the chain’s app, fans will be able to vote between the Mexi Melt and the Caramel Apple Empanada.

Related:Taco Bell execs are confident about new menu items despite added complexity

Check out the new food items in the gallery.

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About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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