Franchise News

Taco Bell ‘Opens Its Doors’ to Vegetarians With ‘New’ Meat-Free Menu
This menu might be news to some, but for many loyal Taco Bell goers, this menu isn’t so new after all.

Franchise News

This menu might be news to some, but for many loyal Taco Bell goers, this menu isn’t so new after all.

Restaurants galore are hopping on the vegetarian train to stay on-trend in the interest of capturing the millennial market share. Taco Bell (re)announced its plans to launch a “not-so-new ‘new’ vegetarian menu nationwide for the first time” on September 12, according to QSR.
For years, Taco Bell has been recognized for serving vegetarians meat-free options. But now, the taco joint is reminding everyone of its vegetarian options by organizing everything in a specific vegetarian-labeled menu including fan-favorite classics, just minus the meat. Taco Bell is currently the only quick-service restaurant to offer menu items that have been certified by the American Vegetarian Association––so you don’t have to question if your Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme is really meat-free.
“At Taco Bell, we believe that vegetarian food shouldn’t be a compromise; it shouldn’t be limited to one item, and it shouldn’t be just for vegetarians,” said Taco Bell’s Global Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews.
Could Taco Bell’s meatless menu “launch” come about because of the several other restaurants debuting vegan and vegetarian options such as KFC’s Beyond Meat Fried Chicken or Burger King’s Impossible Whopper? The pressure to adhere to the restaurant industry’s trends is quite high. We’re here for the meat-free offering, but calling it ‘new’? Well, we’ve got some beef with that.
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About the Author
Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.