Taco Bell Completes Menu Streamlining With Removal of More Menu Items

The Taco Bell is getting another makeover, and the days of the Mexican Pizza are coming to an end. The fan-favorite item is just one of a handful of more menu items that are being cut while the fast-food chain takes steps to streamline its menu options during the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, Taco Bell began cutting menu items, including all potato items.

Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza item will be gone from menus around the country by Nov. 5, CNBC reports. The Yum Brands company said the pizza boxes use a combined 7 million pounds of paperboard in the U.S., so cutting the menu item will help it reach sustainability goals. The shredded chicken protein option will be gone, so you will no longer be able to order Shredded Chicken Soft Taco, Shredded Chicken Burrito, and Shredded Chicken Quesadilla Melt soon. The pico de gallo will be swapped out for diced tomatoes.

While these menu items will disappear, Nov. 5 also marks the introduction of the Dragonfruit Freeze drink and the Chicken Chipotle Melt. Taco Bell is also testing the Quesalupa in Knoxville, Tennessee before reintroducing it nationwide next year. Taco Bell said the removal of the other items will “make room for new innovations,” reports CNN.

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In August, Taco Bell got rid of several items in an effort to streamline the business. The potato items – Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, and Cheesy Potato Loaded Griller – are all gone. The Grilled Steak Soft Taco, 7-Layer Burrito, Nachos Supreme, Beefy Fritos Burrito, Spicy Tostada, Triple Layer Nachos, Chips & Dips, Beefy Nacho Loaded Grillers, and Mini Skillet Bowl were eliminated from the menu as well. The company did add the $5 Grande Nachos Box and made the Beef Burrito a permanent resident of the $1 Cravings Value Menu.

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These moves follow an ongoing effort by the fast-food industry to cut costs during the coronavirus pandemic. With simpler menus, the restaurant chains have been able to serve customers faster, as McDonald’s discovered when it began offering a limited menu. Taco Bell plans to take things a step further by redesigning locations to emphasize drive-thru pick-up and limiting human interaction. “We are in the process of evolving our menu to simplify operations and make our team member and customer experiences easier,” Taco Bell told Delish in July before the August changes were confirmed.

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