IRVINE, Calif. -- Taco Bell has confirmed a "leak" from a December investor presentation--whether unintentional or a bit of stealth marketing to create buzz-- revealing its next big product release, said The Business Insider.
In the presentation late last year, Taco Bell parent company Yum! Brands displayed a slide about innovation with a photo of a hard taco inside a Fritos bag. Taco Bell used a similar illustration to represent the Doritos Locos Taco on menus and in ads.
The Doritos Locos Taco has a shell made out of Nacho Cheese Doritos chips. The company introduced it in 2012, and it is Taco Bell's most popular menu item of all time.
"We’re always innovating and testing new concepts," a Taco Bell spokesperson told the publication in December.
But now CEO Brian Niccol has confirmed for the online publication that Taco Bell is, in fact, coming out with a Fritos taco. The new menu item, stuffed with chili and wrapped in a Fritos shell, will launch in a few test markets this year, he said.
"I always joke with people that the Fritos' destiny was to be in a taco," said Niccol.
The "walking taco" concept--chili and toppings poured into an open bag of chips--has been around for years unofficially, and many convenience stores have added it to their menus. It is a handheld variation of the "Frito pie," a casserole made from chili and corn chips. Taco Bell's latest innovation turns that concept back in on itself--very much in the same vein as Frito-Lay did when it introduced Doritos Locos Taco-flavored Doritos.
The company also recently added a Beefy Fritos burrito, which is a beef-filled burrito with cheese, rice and Fritos.
Click here to view the full Business Insider report.
Taco Bell is also testing Cap'n Crunch-coated doughnut holes for its morning menu in Bakersfield, Calif., reported DailyFinance. It's a variation of Cinnabon Delights, the cream-filled doughnut holes that the chain began offering as part of the breakfast menu that it rolled out nationwide last year.
The new doughnut holes that were introduced in the test market late last month are coated with Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries cereal, filled with the same milky-cream center as the original Cinnabon Delights.
Click here for the full DailyFinance report.
Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Louisville-based Yum! Brands Inc., is the nation's leading Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant (QSR). Taco Bell serves made-to-order and customizable tacos, burritos and specialties, such as the exclusive Doritos Locos Tacos, gourmet-inspired Cantina Bell Menu and lower-calorie Fresco Menu. Irvine, Calif.-based Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchise organizations have nearly 6,000 restaurants across the United States.
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