Taco Bell is planning on revamping their menu to offer an upscale Cantina menu come early July.
The Taco Bell Cantina menu will debut nationally on July 5 2012 and will include tacos, burritos and bowls with suggested prices just under $5. Something you would find at the ever so fast-growing competitor, Chipotle. Only at Chipotle, it will cost you around $8.
Taco Bell teamed up with Lorena Garcia, who appeared on the reality TV show, “America’s Next Great Restaurant.” Together, Lorena Garcia and Taco Bell created the new Catina Menu. Taco Bell executive Brian Niccol calls the new menu, “gourmet Mexican.”
Lorena Garcia said in a statement, “Taco Bell approached me with an interesting challenge. They have a passionate fan base that loves the great taste of the classic menu items and they don’t want to change that. They were looking to keep these menu items and expand their food to offer new flavors with great taste. As a chef, I saw this as an opportunity to help create diversity to the Taco Bell experience, and to introduce and celebrate the tastes and flavors from around the world to millions of customers.”
The new Taco Bell menu items will be made with ingredients like black beans, chicken in a cilantro and herb marinade, cilantro rice, avocado guacamole, fire-roasted corn salsa, pico de gallo, creamy cilantro dressing and romaine lettuce.
The Cantina Bell menu items will also include a veggie option:
- Cantina Bowl: Chicken ($4.79, 560 calories, 22g total fat. 26g protein), Veggie ($4.79, 540 calories, 21g total fat, 14g protein), Steak ($4.99, 550 calories, 23g total fat, 22g protein)
- Cantina Burrito: Chicken ($4.79, 760 calories, 27g total fat, 32g protein), Veggie ($4.79, 740 calories, 26g total fat, 20g protein), Steak ($4.99, 750 calories, 28g total fat, 28g protein)
Taco Bell’s new items will be backed by a guarantee, meaning, if consumers don’t love it, Taco Bell will replace it. They are also assuring customers that the regular Taco Bell favorites will stay on the menu.
Recently, Taco Bell announced the Doritos Locos taco being the chain’s most popular item ever sold in the companies 50-year history. Selling more than 100 million Doritos Locos Taco in just 10 weeks. The Doritos Locos Taco did so well, Taco Bell plans on expanding to a Cool Ranch version this summer.
The Register compared the details to McDonald’s saying, “To put some perspective on the 100 million tacos sold, Taco Bell notes that McDonald’s sold its first 100 million burgers in 1958 – 18 years after the first McDonald’s burger stand opened, and three years after Ray Kroc started his first McDonald’s franchise.”
