Taco Bell Makes Statement After Running out of Mexican Pizzas

By Allison Schonter

Taco Bell is working hard to fulfill those Mexican Pizza orders. Less than two weeks after the fan-favorite dish returned to menus nationwide following a years-long disappearance, fans hoping to place an order were left dumbfounded when they learned Taco Bell ran out of the Mexican Pizza, an issue the Mexican-style fast-food chain finally addressed Tuesday afternoon.

In a social media message to fans, Taco Bell sadly confirmed that they "underestimated how many of you love Mexican Pizza." The chain went on to reveal just how badly they underestimated, revealing, "7x more than we expected, to be exact. We are working as fast as we can to restock Mexican Pizza ingredients. We'll need some time to replenish our supplies." Although exact sales of the Mexican Pizza remain unclear, sources told Living Mas in a report published just last week that "the system sold 1 million more than projected," with a second source claiming, "Taco Bell was projecting 6-8 million item sales and has actually sold over 20 million since launch." As a result, Taco Bell ran out of ingredients for the pizzas.

While news of the Mexican Pizza shortage understandably upset many fans, Taco Bell's Tuesday statement came with some news that fans cans surely celebrate: the Mexican Pizza won't be permanently disappearing from menus. The beloved fast-food chain continued its statement, "When it comes back, we promise it's here to stay."

The Mexican Pizza is something of a cult classic fast-food menu item. First introduced in 1985, the pizza, a favorite even for country music icon Dolly Parton, consists of seasoned ground beef and refried beans sandwiched between two crisp "pizza shell" tostadas, then smothered in diced tomatoes, a three-cheese blend and a spicy pizza sauce. The pizza was an instant hit upon its debut, and although it remained on the menu for more than two decades, Taco Bell made the controversial decision in November 2020 to pull the Mexican Pizza from the menu amid an effort to streamline its menu. That sparked a massive outcry and a social media campaign to return the Mexican Pizza to Taco Bell locations nationwide.

Taco Bell heard those calls, announcing in mid-April that following its years-long absence, the Mexican Pizza would return nationwide beginning May 19. At the time, Mark King, CEO of Taco Bell, noted, "our menu is full of fan-favorites, but the Mexican Pizza is at the top of that list. From its flashy introduction to menus in 1985 as 'Pizzazz Pizza' to its inspiration behind the creation of infamous jingles, Mexican Pizza has a long history with the brand and I'm glad we could give fans what they crave and bring our classic Mexican Pizza back home where it belongs."

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