Taco Bell Is Permanently Adding Potatoes Back to Its Menu
This is easily the biggest fast-food news of 2021 so far.
Just a few months after Taco Bell sadly removed potatoes from its national menu, the chain has finally succumbed to customers' passionate demands to bring them back. In a major reversal, the company announced Thursday it will permanently reinstate potato-filled menu items in March.
Starting on March 11, Taco Bell will officially begin serving Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, Spicy Potato Soft Tacos, and other menu items customized with potatoes once again, according to a spokesperson for the chain. The news comes after the fast food chain cryptically teased a major announcement tied to that date in social media posts on Wednesday.
Potatoes were nixed from Taco Bell's ingredient list last year as part of a larger effort to simplify its restaurant operations, greatly upsetting fans—especially vegetarian fans—nationwide. Fortunately, other quick-service restaurants leaned into plant-based trends around the same time that Taco Bell made cuts, which put pressure on Taco Bell to add more vegetarian options.
Someone at Taco Bell must have realized that, hey, bringing back potatoes will please vegetarians and meat-eating fans alike, so it's a real feed-two-birds-with-one-scone solution.
“The return of our beloved potatoes is just the first step in showing our fans the strong continued commitment to vegetarian we are making this year,” said Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s global chief food innovation officer, in a press release. “We have long been a leader in the vegetarian space, but this year, we have more meatless options in store that vegetarians, veggie-curious and even meat-eaters will love.”
The Spicy Potato Soft Taco will go for about $1 and the Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes will go for around $1.49 (prices vary from place to place). Potatoes can also be substituted for meat or beans in any other menu item.
In addition to reviving its potato items, Taco Bell will begin testing a new plant-based protein in partnership with Beyond Meat this year for anyone who prefers meatless options.
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