Taco Bell May Be Making Major Changes to Dollar Menu

The Taco Bell Dollar Menu may be undergoing a major revamp. First introduced back in 2018 as the $1 Value Cravings Menu, and existing over the years in various forms before the revamp, the beloved Mexican-style fast-food chain's Dollar Menu has become a staple for fast food lovers, offering up everything from a Spicy Potato Soft Taco to a Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito for just $1. But the days of those value prices may soon be a thing of the past, at least according to some fast food lovers who believe Taco Bell is phasing out the Dollar Menu altogether.

Speculation surrounding the Value Menu's future was first prompted on Wednesday, Dec. 1 when a Redditor took to the social news site claiming Taco Bell's "dollar menu is on life support" as they shared screenshots of alleged 2022 first quarter Taco Bell plans first shared by Taco Bell enthusiast site Living Más. According to the plans, which were said to be "confirmed (100%)," the Value Menu is set to shrink in 2022 as Taco Bell removes items from the menu section and raises the prices of others, with several items reaching a $2 price point. Set to remain on the $1 Value Menu are the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, Cinnamon Twists, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, and the Cheesy Roll Up. None of these items have meat in them, and it appears the Chips and Nacho Cheese Sauce, Beef Burrito, and Chicken Chipotle melt, which are currently $1 and on the Value Menu, are being dropped. Meanwhile, menu items reportedly being added to the Value menu with a $2 price tag include the Beefy Melt Burrito, Chipotle Ranch Chicken Burrito, and Fiesta Veggie Burrito.

The post, unsurprisingly, angered many Taco Bell fans, with one person declaring that "the golden era of things being a $1 each is over." Somebody else commented, "they're not just not $1, they're not even on the value menu at all. If this was a genuine move out of $1 because of inflation, they'd be $1.50 TOPS to keep that value proposition... but instead they continue to be profit hungry to meet investor satisfaction." Several people, however, didn't seem very surprised, sharing that price hikes have been affecting the Value Menu at their local Taco Bells for some time now. One person explained, "my local store has been adding about 50 cents to every item so the dollar menu has been long gone for me," with another person sharing, "for me it hasn't been a dollar menu for a while. Everything is like $1.30 or $1.50."

The legitimacy of the screenshots remains up in the air at this time, and Taco Bell has not commented on the speculation or the fate of the Dollar Menu. Earlier this year, it was reported that Taco Bell was testing new $1-priced menu items, such as Grilled Cheese Stackers, Stacked Bowls, and Primo Burritos, at select locations in the country with possible plans to roll them out nationwide. Back in 2020, the chain expanded its $1 Cravings Value Menu by 21 items.