Taco Bell is removing the step of dipping chips in salsa all while maintaining the craved taste.
The Mexican-styled food chain announced on Thursday that, starting in May, it will be launching a line of tortilla chips in grocery stores inspired by its famous sauces, with the packaging looking identical to the chain’s hot sauce packets.
It’s out of the bag. Taco Bell Tortilla Chips are coming this summer. pic.twitter.com/cd22srcHsH
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) March 22, 2018
“This launch of our first line of sauce packet-inspired chips gives our fans a new way to access a taste of Taco Bell. Our sauce packets are one of the brand’s most unique aspects and were the natural choice for both the flavors and packaging of our tortilla chips,” Taco Bell chief brand officer Marisa Thalberg said in a press release.
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Three varieties will be available when the chips hit shelves this May.
“Classic” chips are described as crispy and seasoned with salt only, while “mild” and “fire” mimic the taste of the chain’s hot sauces and are flavored with peppers and spices, including chili peppers and cumin, as well as hints of jalapeño and paprika in the latter.
While the chips may prove to be a competitor for Doritos, Taco Bell assured that Doritos Locos Tacos won’t be getting the boot anytime soon.
“There are no plans to replace the Doritos Locos Tacos shells with these chips flavors,” a company spokesperson told Eater. “We’ve developed many successful products working with Frito-Lay, like the Doritos Locos Taco and Beefy Crunch Burrito. However, these tortilla chips were not a collaboration. We wanted to create tortilla chips that stood out as uniquely Taco Bell, in both their sauce packet flavors and packaging.”
The announcement comes on the heels of the news that Taco Bell has dethroned Burger King as the fourth-largest fast food chain in the United States.
Techmonic reported via Bloomberg that Taco Bell’s system-wide sales jumped five percent in the United States in 2017 to $9.8 billion. The site speculates that the restaurant’s emphasis on indulgent foods (chicken-fried taco shells, nacho fries) and the dollar menu appealed to younger customers looking for cheaper options.
The Mexican-themed restaurant joins McDonalds (No. 1), Starbucks (No. 2) and Subway (No. 3) as the top four most-profitable chain fast food establishments.
