Mass (Bernstein) and Taco Bell: Difference between pages

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{{article issues|refimprove=August 2007}}
'''MASS''' (formally, "'''MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers'''") is a [[musical theatre|musical]] piece composed by [[Leonard Bernstein]]. Specifically commissioned by [[First Lady of the United States]] [[Jacqueline Kennedy]], widow of [[President of the United States|President]] [[John F. Kennedy]], it made its premiere on [[September 8]], [[1971]], conducted by [[Maurice Peress]], as part of the opening of the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Kennedy Hall Gets Acoustics Workout |publisher=''The New York Times'' |date=September 2, 1971 |author=Schonberg, Harold C.}}</ref> Originally, Bernstein had intended to compose a traditional [[Requiem Mass]], but instead decided on this more innovative style.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}


{{Infobox_Company |
The work is based on the [[Tridentine Mass]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], which was the order of [[Mass (liturgy)|liturgy]] in use at the time of its commissioning by Mrs. Kennedy. By the time the play debuted in 1971, however, the Catholic Church had adopted the [[Mass of Paul VI]], following the reforms of the [[Second Vatican Council]]. Although the liturgical passages are sung in Latin, ''Mass'' also includes additional texts in English written by Bernstein, Broadway composer [[Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz]],<ref>[http://www.leonardbernstein.com/studio/element.asp?FeatID=12&AssetID=24 The Official Leonard Bernstein Web Site page on Mass]. Retrieved February 10, 2006.</ref> and [[Paul Simon]] (who wrote the first quatrain of the trope "Half of the People").
| company_name = Taco Bell
| company_slogan = "Think outside the bun"
| company_logo = [[Image:Taco Bell logo.svg|center|150px|Corporate logo of Taco Bell]]
| company_type = Wholly owned subsidiary
| foundation = [[June 9]], [[1962]] <small>([[Downey, California]])</small>
| location = [[Irvine, California]], [[United States]]
| key_people = [[Glen_Bell|Glen Bell]] <small>(founder)</small><br />Greg Creed <small> (president/CEO)</small><br>
| num_employees = 175,000+
| industry = [[Fast Food]]
| products = [[Taco]]s, [[burrito]]s, and other [[Mexican cuisine]]-related [[fast food]]
| revenue = {{profit}}$1.8 billion [[United States dollar|USD]] <small>(2005)</small>
| parent = [[Yum! Brands]]
| homepage = [http://www.tacobell.com tacobell.com]
|}}
'''Taco Bell''', a subsidiary of [[Yum! Brands, Inc.]], is a [[chain restaurant|restaurant chain]] based in [[Irvine, California]] specializing in [[Tex-Mex]]-inspired [[fast food]]. Most restaurants are located in North America, but there are also many in other countries. The menu focuses on [[taco]] and [[burrito]] variations, but many other selections are offered.


==Corporate profile==
==Cast of characters==
{{article issues|refimprove=August 2007}}
The original cast consisted of a Celebrant, three choirs, and altar servers. A full classical orchestra performed in the pit, while onstage musicians -- including a [[rock band]] and a [[marching band]] -- performed and interacted onstage.
=== History ===
[[Image:Former Taco Bell Logo.png|thumb|200px|The classic Taco Bell logo used from 1985-1994. It is still in use at many Taco Bell locations. A variation of the classic logo resembles the current logo.]]
[[Image:TacoBellWausau.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Taco Bell's original restaurant design with their first logo sign.]]
At the age of 23, Glenn Bell came home from serving in the Marine Corps during WWII. He went to San Bernadino, California, sure that there were would good market for recreational actvities that had disappeared during the war. His first business venture was a hot-dog stand called Bell’s Drive-In, where he learned the foundations of business.


Bell sold the stand in 1952 and started to create a better version. He didn’t want his stand to be like the McDonald brothers, who were starting their first stand at the time, so he strayed away from burgers and frys. After experimenting with alternative food items, Glen Bell opened three Taco-Tia stands in 1954 and 1955, which he later sold to his partners. He then opened the first Taco Bell in [[Downey, California]] on March 21, 1962.
* '''The Celebrant''' &ndash; The central character of the work, a [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|Catholic priest]] who conducts the celebration of the Mass.
* '''Formal Choir''' &ndash; A mixed [[choir]] (SSAATTBB) in upstage choir lofts who sing the [[Latin (language)|Latin]] portions of the Mass.
* '''Boys Choir''' &ndash; A children's choir (SSAA) that processes on and off stage various times, performing alone, in antiphon, or in concert with the Formal Choir and the Street Singers.
* '''Street Singers''' &ndash; Downstage and often performing around the Celebrant and the stage instrumentalists, a broad group of female and male singers representing the congregation (and occasionally the musicians), who variously participate in the prayers of the Mass, or alternately counter those prayers in a modern context.
* '''[[Acolyte]]s''' &ndash; Assistants to the Celebrant, who perform dances and altar assistance throughout the Mass.


The first Taco Bell franchise was sold in 1964 and the company became [[Initial public offering|public]] in 1969. In 1978, the chain was sold to [[PepsiCo]]with Owner Mary Pierson. The chain was spun off along with Pepsi's other fast food restaurant holdings as [[Yum! Brands|Tricon Global Restaurants]] in October 1997. Tricon became [[Yum! Brands]] in May 2002.
==Synopsis==


===General operations===
At the beginning of the score, all performers are in harmony and agreement. During the course of the Mass, however, the street choir begins expressing doubts and suspicions about the necessity of God in their lives and the role of the Mass itself. At the play's emotional climax, this doubt and confusion spreads to the Celebrant himself, who hurls the just-consecrated bread and wine to the ground in an act of [[sacrilege]]. The other cast members collapse to the ground as if dead while the Celebrant sings a song calling his lifetime of faith and beliefs into question. At the end of his song, he too, collapses.


[[Image:Taco Bell Headquarters Irvine.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Taco Bell's headquarters in Irvine, California]]
The plot is resolved when the altar server, who was absent from the stage during the increasing tension of the various players, sings a hymn of praise to God and restores the faith of the Celebrant and the three choirs, who then join the altar server, one by one, in his hymn of praise.


Smaller Taco Bell outlets, offering a reduced version of the menu, appear in malls, airport terminals, university and military base dining halls, department stores, hotels, gas stations, sports stadiums, and other locations. Some school lunch programs also offer Taco Bell items under the Taco Bell Express branding.
As in the actual Mass, the last words of the piece are: "The Mass is ended; go in peace." In Bernstein's play these words are heard over pre-recorded [[magnetic tape|tape]].


The Taco Bell name is also used under license by [[Kraft Foods]], which offers a line of taco shells, spices, salsa, and other Mexican foods (including full meal kits) featuring the Taco Bell Home Originals name in supermarkets nationwide.
==Movements==
# Antiphon: Kyrie Eleison
# Hymn and Psalm: "A Simple Song"
# Responsory: Alleluia
# Prefatory Prayers (Kyrie Rondo)
# Thrice-Triple Canon: Dominus vobiscum
# In nomine Patris
# Prayer for the Congregation (Chorale: "Almighty Father")
# Epiphany
# Confiteor
# Trope: "I Don't Know"
# Trope: "Easy"
# Meditation no. 1
# Gloria tibi
# Gloria in excelsis Deo
# Trope: "Half of the People"
# Trope: "Thank You"
# Meditation no. 2
# Epistle: "The Word of the Lord"
# Gospel-Sermon: "God Said"
# Credo
# Trope: "Non Credo"
# Trope: "Hurry"
# Trope: "World Without End"
# Trope: "I Believe in God"
# Meditation no. 3: De profundis, part 1
# Offertory: De profundis, part 2
# The Lord's Prayer, Our Father
# Trope: "I Go On"
# Sanctus
# Agnus Dei
# Fraction: "Things Get Broken"
# Pax: Communion ("Secret Songs")


As of 2005, there are 5,845 Taco Bell restaurants in the United States, including 1,252 company-owned locations, 3,803 franchisees, and 790 licenses. There is a 3% drop in branches compared with 2001.<ref>[PDF]Yum! Brands. ''Worldwide System Restaurants Full-year 2005'', located at [http://www.yum.com/investors/media/units_ww.pdf http://www.yum.com/investors/media/units_ww.pdf], assessed 13 December, 2006.</ref> Internationally there are 243 locations, 201 franchisees and 42 licensees, which adds up to growth of 2% since 2001.<ref>Ibid.</ref>
==Instrumentation==

*Vocal forces: Celebrant (high baritone), Boy soprano, SATB robed choir (ca. 60), 20 soloists from Street People, Boys Choir (ca. 20), Street People (singer-dancers, ca. 45)
Over the last several years, [[Yum! Brands, Inc.]] has been co-locating its various restaurant franchises ([[KFC]], [[Long John Silver's]], [[A&W Restaurants|A&W]], and [[Pizza Hut]]).
*Stage orchestra (in costume, acting as cast members): 2 flutes (both doubling on piccolos), two oboes (second doubling on English horn), three clarinets (doubling on soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, E-flat clarinet, and bass clarinet), two bassoons (second doubling on contrabassoon), 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 2 percussionists (playing bongos, 2 drum sets, finger cymbals, temple blocks, 2 tambourines, and glockenspiel), street percussion (3 steel drums, claves, bottles, tambourine, gourds, and tin cans), 2 electric guitars, electric bass guitar, and 2 electric keyboards

*Pit orchestra: timpani, 3-4 percussionists (playing snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, bongos, 4 tuned drums, cymbals, suspended cymbal, triangle, 2 cowbells, chimes, tam-tam, anvil, temple blocks, woodblock, tambourine, xylophone, glockenspiel, marimba, and vibraphone), harp, celesta, 2 [[Allen organ]]s, pre-recorded tape, and strings
==Results==
Taco Bell also has the largest sales per [[system unit]] in [[Yum]]!, having USD 1.17 million sales per system unit, excluding licensees.<ref>[PDF] Yum!Brands 2007 Annual report.</ref>

===Co-branding===
[[Image:Tacobellkfcrestaurants.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Co-branded Taco Bell and KFC]]

Many Taco Bell Express brand outlets can be found in suburban strip malls, often adjacent to other Yum!-brand eateries, most notably [[Pizza Hut]], [[Kentucky Fried Chicken]] or [[Long John Silvers]].

===Lawsuit===
A lawsuit filed in 1998 by [[Joseph Shields]] and [[Thomas Rinks]] alleged Taco Bell failed to pay them for use of the Chihuahua character they created. The men alleged that Taco Bell had breached payment on a contract after they worked with the restaurant chain for a year to develop the talking Chihuahua for use in marketing. The Chihuahua became a hit: In it, the character bypasses a female Chihuahua for a Taco Bell taco and declares: "Yo quiero Taco Bell." The two men received $30.1 million, plus an addition of $11.4 million in interest.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2003-06-04-taco-bell-lawsuit_x.htm USATODAY.com - Chihuahua idea men win Taco Bell suit<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Taco Bell said it would appeal the verdict.

[[50 Cent]], whose real name is [[Curtis Jackson]], filed a federal lawsuit against Taco Bell on July 23, 2008. The suit claims that his name was used in a print ad asking him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent as a part of the "Why Pay More?" campaign. 50 Cent was not aware of the ad until it came out, while fake letters containing the name change request were sent to the news media for promotional purposes. He is seeking $4 million in damages. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-people-50-cent-taco-bell,0,6789630.story | title="50 Cent sues Taco Bell, saying it used his name in 99 Cent ad without permission" | author=Maull, Samuel | publisher=Associated Press | date=2008-07-24 | accessdate=2008-07-24}}</ref>

===Acquisitions===
*In 1984, Taco Bell acquired [[Pup 'N' Taco]].
*In 1986, Taco Bell acquired the Faux-Mex [[Chain store|restaurant chain]] known as [[Zantigo]], known for their chili-cheese burrito. The Chilito was added to the Taco Bell menu. The name was later quietly changed to ''Chili Cheese Burrito'' after comedian [[Paul Rodriguez]] pointed out the negative connotations of the word ''chilito'' (a slang word for penis) in [[Mexican Spanish|Mexican Spanish dialect]].{{Fact|date=September 2007}} <!-- citation was [http://www.karolczak.com/blog/archives/2006/03/zantigo_a_blast_from_my_past.php] : blog has moved and new version doesn't have this -->

===Border Bell===
In 1997, [[PepsiCo]] experimented with a new "fresh grill" concept, opening at least one Border Bell restaurant in [[Mountain View, California]] on El Camino Real ([[California State Route 82|SR 82]]). In addition to a subset of the regular Taco Bell menu, Border Bell offered Mexican-inspired items like those available from [[Chevys Fresh Mex]] restaurants (then owned by PepsiCo), such as Chevys signature sweet corn [[tamalito]] pudding and a fresh salsa bar.<ref>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/imipolex/557747612/ Image of promotional Border Bell menu]</ref> Close to the time that PepsiCo spun off its restaurant business in 1997, the Border Bell in Mountain View was closed and converted to a Taco Bell restaurant, which is still open as of 2008.

==Products==
===Taco Bell menu===
* [[Taco]]s
* [[Burrito]]s
* [[Gordita]]s
* [[Chalupa]]s
* [[Nacho]]s
* [[Quesadilla]]s
* [[Taquito]]s
* [[Mexican pizza]]

Taco Bell's dessert options include the [[Caramel apple|Caramel Apple]] [[Empanada]] and [[Cinnamon Twists]]. Sides include nachos, pintos and cheese, and a cup of rice which used to come with a double portion of rice, [[red sauce]], cheese, and formerly [[green onion]], though this ingredient is no longer carried after an [[2006 North American E. coli outbreak|''E. coli'' scare]]. As of 2008, Taco Bell has removed the red sauce and cheese from the sides of rice.

===Big Bell Value menu===
In the late-1980s, Taco Bell commonly advertised its "59, 79, 99" pricing plan, in which nearly everything on the menu was priced at 59¢, 79¢, or 99¢.

[[Image:crunch.jpg|thumb|Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme]]
Despite Taco Bell's inexpensive prices, its least expensive menus did not appear until the mid-2000s. The introduction of the value menu also brought new items to the restaurant's offerings, notably items made with potatoes and Taco Bell's third dessert, the Caramel Apple Empanada. (Cinnamon Crispas, triangular fried flour tortilla shells, were offered until being replaced by Cinnamon Twists.) The Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito recently replaced the Bean Burrito Especial, which was removed because of its small [[profit margin]]. However, the Bean Burrito Especial is still on The Big Bell Value Menu in some markets in the western markets in addition to the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito. Also of note is that half of the menu is not truly new, as Beef Combo Burritos, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos, Double Decker Tacos, and both Spicy Chicken items had been on the regular menu before, as permanent or limited time only items.

The Big Bell Value Menu usually includes:
*Grande Soft Taco: two 6" tortillas with nacho cheese in between, a double portion of beef, then lettuce and cheese
*Double Decker Taco: beans on a 6" tortilla wrapped around a crunchy taco with beef, lettuce, and cheese
*Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito: beans, rice, nacho cheese, 3-cheese blend, jalapeño sauce, and fiesta salsa
*Beef Combo Burrito: beans, a double portion of beef, red sauce, cheese, and onion
*Beef & Potato Burrito: beef, red sauce, potatoes, and sour cream
*Spicy Chicken Burrito: spicy chicken, rice, creamy jalapeño sauce, and fiesta salsa
*Spicy Chicken Soft Taco: spicy chicken (1.5 oz), lettuce (.5 oz), fiesta salsa (.5 oz.)
*Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes: warm nacho cheese, cool sour cream, golden fried potatoes
*Caramel Apple Empanada: warm caramel sauce and apple chunks

===Why Pay More Value Menu===
In May 2008, a new value meal called Why Pay More Value Menu debuted. This new value menu contains some of the items from the previous value menu as well as a variety of new ones. <ref>[http://www.chainleader.com/article/CA6561211.html|Taco Bell Gives Consumers More Variety for Less Money with New 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu (Press Release)]</ref>

http://www.tacobell.com/valuemenu/

The menu is:

79¢ Items:
* Melted Three Cheese Rollup (New): flour tortilla with a blend of three cheeses
* Triple Layer Nachos (New): nacho chips with Taco Bell's Red Sauce, beans and nacho cheese sauce
* Cinnamon Twists

89¢ Items:
* Crunchy Taco
* Soft Taco
* Cheesy Double Beef Burrito (New): flour tortilla with two portions of beef, Mexican rice and nacho cheese sauce
* Volcano Taco (New): Red hard shell tortilla with seasoned beef, real cheddar cheese, lettuce and Cheesy Lava Sauce.

99¢ Items:
* Big Taste Taco (New): flour tortilla with beef, lettuce, crunchy Red Strips, cheddar cheese and Creamy Jalapeño Sauce
* Bean Burrito
* 1/2 lb. Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
* Caramel Apple Empanada

=== Frutista Freeze ===

In May 2008, a frozen drink called Frutista Freeze debuted. The two flavors are Mango Strawberry and Strawberry: both topped with strawberries.

http://www.tacobell.com/frutistafreeze/

=== Big Bell Box Meal ===
In April 2008, Taco Bell introduced the Big Bell Box Meal with a Bacon Club Chalupa, Beef Crunchy Taco, Bean Burrito, and Cinnamon Twists served in a box with a large drink. Every month the contents of the box change with the new promotional item.

http://www.tacobell.com/bigbox/

Launched with broadcast TV advertising in April 2008 featuring comedic radio personality Adam Carolla who prompts viewers to "eat like a man" and that they "deserve a meal made for men."

===Promotional/discontinued items===
{{Unreferencedsection|date=May 2008}}
* 7-Layer Crunchwrap (still available in some locations)
* Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito
* Bacon Cheeseburger Taco Supreme
* The Bell-Beefer - a taco like hamburger with a hamburger bun, taco meat, cheese, tomato, and lettuce.
* BLT Chicken Soft Taco
* Border Ices - Tropical flavored ice pops
* The Cheesarito
* The Cheesy Beefy Melt
* Cheesy Gordita Crunch (still available in some locations)
* Chicken Caesar Grilled Stuft Burrito
* Chicken and Steak Grilled Taquitos (now on permanent menu)
* Chicken Enchilada Grilled Stuft Burrito
* Chicken Fajita Burrito
* Chili Cheese Burrito [http://www.chilicheese.org/cc/default.asp]
* Chili Cheese Nachos Bellgrande
* Club Chalupa (first released in 2004, currently on a second run in spring of 2008. Now labeled as the "Bacon Club Chalupa" however the ingredients are the same.
* Crunchwrap Supreme (now on permanent menu)
* [[Enchirito]] (now on permanent menu -- had been discontinued for years and brought back recently, albeit with a slightly different preparation)
* Extreme Cheese and Beef Quesadilla
* [[Good Humor]]'s [[Choco Taco]] was also offered for a short while
* Grande Quesadilla
* [[Fritos]] Burrito - a burrito filled with spicy chili, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and [[Fritos]] corn chips
* Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft Burrito
* Steak Burrito Bellgrande - A burrito filled with steak, cheese, pico sauce, green sauce and miniature tater tots.
* Taco Bellgrande
* Ultimate Chalupa - Chalupa with chicken or steak, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, 3 cheese blend, and fiesta salsa
* Volcano Burrito (a special promotion in conjunction with the 1995 film ''[[Congo (film)|Congo]]'')
* Zesty Nachos
*In 2007, Taco Bell test marketed a breakfast menu in Omaha, Toledo, Fresno, and Tucson. The menu featured eight breakfast items, including a version of the popular grilled stuft burrito with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. The menu has been discontinued.

In 1991, Taco Bell launched a Fiesta menu which had smaller sized versions of four their popular menu items: the taco, soft taco, bean burrito and tostada. Each item was approximately 40% smaller than the normal versions and cost $.39 each.

In the early-1990s, Taco Bell changed its menu due to pressure concerning the nutritional value of items labeled "Lite". It was believed the term was vague or possibly deceptive. Many items were dropped entirely from the menu, such as the "Taco Lite", a fried flour tortilla shell with lean beef, fat free sour cream, lettuce, reduced fat cheese, and tomatoes. Some items were altered to change the nutritional values, such as the removal of olives from the list of ingredients, in an effort to reduce sodium.
[[Image:Tacobellsunnyvale.jpg|240px|thumb|left|Taco Bell's current restaurant design]]
In early 1994, Taco Bell transformed the familiar rainbow logo, in favor of a simpler pink/purple combo logo in an effort to revitalize their almost 20 year old logo. This was done after a movie placement tie-in with ''[[Demolition Man (film)|Demolition Man]]''. In the sci-fi story Taco Bell is the only remaining restaurant chain in the world. The Taco Bell is portrayed in the futuristic purple and pink design.

===Reduction of trans fats===
As of April, 2007, Taco Bell has switched to zero [[trans fat]] frying oil in all of its US single-branded locations.<ref>[http://www.yum.com/nutrition/menu.asp?brandID_Abbr=5_TB TB Nutrition Calculator<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

This has greatly reduced the levels of trans fats in most Taco Bell menu items, but they are still not completely free of trans fats.

==="Fresco Menu"===

In 2003, Taco Bell launched the "fresco style" menu. <ref>[http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=1481&cha=4 Hispanic PR Wire - Taco Bell 'Fresco Style' Cuts the Fat, Not the Flavor; Company Announces New Option for Health-Conscious Consumers<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> By ordering something fresco style, the item's cheese and/or sauce is replaced by the chain's fiesta salsa. Using this option cuts the fat in the product in half in some cases. <ref>[http://www.dottisweightlosszone.com/Restaurants/tacobell.html Taco Bell<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In January 2008, Taco Bell launched a Fresco menu. It has items with less than 9 fat grams and a freshly prepared Fiesta Salsa. The Fiesta Salsa is a zesty mix of diced tomatoes, white onions and cilantro that replaces the cheese, sour cream, and sauce (with exception to red sauce and green sauce) and adds only five calories per serving and no fat.

http://www.tacobell.com/fresco/

The Fresco Menu includes the following items:

* Fresco Crunchy Taco - 8 grams of fat - 150 calories
* Fresco BURRITO SUPREME[R] - Chicken - 8 grams of fat - 330 calories
* Fresco BURRITO SUPREME[R] - Steak - 8 grams of fat - 330 calories
* Fresco Bean Burrito - 7 grams of fat - 330 calories
* Fresco Fiesta Burrito - Chicken - 8 grams of fat - 330 calories
* Fresco Soft Taco - 7 grams of fat - 180 calories
* Fresco Zesty Chicken BORDER BOWL[R] - 8 grams of fat - 350 calories
* Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco - 4.5 grams of fat - 160 calories
* Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco - 4 grams of fat - 170 calories

==Advertising==
In 1995, [[Shaquille O'Neal]] and [[Hakeem Olajuwon]] appeared in a series of commercials promoting the Double Decker Taco, which would become a permanent menu item.

On April 1, 1996, Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in ''[[The New York Times]]'' announcing that they had purchased the [[Liberty Bell]] to "reduce the country's debt" and renamed it to "the [[Taco Liberty Bell]]." Thousands of people who did not immediately understand the press release as an April Fool's Day hoax protested.

In March 2001, Taco Bell announced a promotion to coincide with the re-entry of the [[Mir space station]]. They towed a large target out into the Pacific Ocean, announcing that if the target was hit by a falling piece of Mir, every person in the United States would be entitled to a free Taco Bell taco. The company bought a sizable insurance policy for this gamble.<ref>[http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=4152 Taco Bell press release] March 19, 2001</ref> No piece of the station struck the target.

In 2003, [[Costa Rican]] Taco Bell franchises temporarily marketed their tacos as "Tacos ticos", because for Costa Ricans, the word "taco" refers to what is known in [[Mexico]] as a [[flauta]]. ("Tico" is a colloquial term for natives of Costa Rica.){{fact|date=July 2008|See discussion page [Glane23]}}

In 2004, a local Taco Bell franchisee bought the [[naming rights]] to the former Boise State Pavilion in [[Boise]], [[Idaho]] and renamed the stadium the [[Taco Bell Arena]]. [http://www.sde.state.id.us/webdocs/DailyEdNews/2004%20July-Dec%20Archive/04-10-26_Tuesday.htm]

In the summer of 2004, PepsiCo and Taco Bell introduced [[Mountain Dew Baja Blast]]. The tropical-lime flavored drink is exclusive to Taco Bell stores. Along with this, Taco Bell introduced its [[Mountain Dew]] "Viva Variety!" promotional campaign, where the advertising on the soft drink fountain shows three cups of Mountain Dew&mdash;one regular, one Code Red and one Baja Blast.

In 2007 Taco Bell offered the "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion&mdash;if any player from either team stole a base in the 2007 [[World Series]] the company would give away free tacos to everyone in America in a campaign similar to the Mir promotion.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/29/taco-bell-baseball-face-markets-cx_mr_1029autofacescan02.html Taco Bell's Big Enchilada - Forbes.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> After Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox stole a base, the company paid out this promotion on October 30, 2007.
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:2672186206 04a6903000.jpg?v=0.jpg|240px|thumb|right|Taco Bell location in [[Aliso Viejo, CA]]]] -->

Added to the official menu in early 2007, the Grilled Taquito is Taco Bell's latest permanent product. Some of their most recent "limited time only" items have included the Ultimate [[Chalupa]] (chalupa with chicken or steak, sour cream, lettuce, [[guacamole]], three-cheese blend, and fiesta salsa), and the Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft [[Burrito]].

A commercial in May 2008 features two men at the speaker in the Taco Bell drive-thru, for the 89-cent burrito promo. They start rapping about the burrito to an employee named Stephanie. In response to the popular commercial, some people actually went to Taco Bells and did the rap.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}

Taco Bell sponsors a promotion at home games for both the [[Portland Trail Blazers]] and the [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] in which, if the home team scores 100 points or more, everyone in attendance receives a coupon for a free Chalupa. This tradition started sometime around 1999.<ref>http://www.cnbc.com/id/22589647?__source=RSS*blog*&par=RSS</ref>

===Promotional partners===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;[[20th Century Fox]]
* [[the X-Files (film)|X-Files]] (1998)
* [[Casper Meets Wendy]] (1998)
* [[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]] (1999)
* [[Digimon: The Movie]] (2000)
* [[Planet of the Apes]] (2001)
* [[Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones]] (2002)

;[[Disney]]/[[Pixar]]/[[Hollywood Pictures]]
* [[Oliver & Company]] (1988)
* [[D3: The Mighty Ducks]] (1996)
* [[Kazaam]] (1996)
* [[Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000 film)|Gone in Sixty Seconds]] (2000)

;[[Mattel]]
* [[Barbie]] (1991)
* [[Vertibird]] (1994)

;[[Paramount]]
* [[Congo (film)|Congo]] (1995)
* [[Popeye (film)|Popeye]] (1980)
* [[Pee-wee's Big Adventure]] (1985)
* [[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]] (1996)
* [[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]] (2001)

{{col-2}}
;[[Sony Pictures]]
* [[Ghostbusters]] (1984)
* [[The Care Bears Movie]] (1989)
* [[The Karate Kid, Part II]] (1986)
* [[Ghostbusters II]] (1989)
* [[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]] (1998)
* [[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]] (1999)
* [[Stuart Little]] (1999)
* [[Charlie's Angels (film)|Charlie's Angels]] (2000)
* [[Stuart Little 2]] (2002)

;[[Universal Studios]]
* [[Hulk (film)|Hulk]] (2003)

;[[Warner Bros.]]
* Batman (1989)
* [[Demolition Man (film)|Demolition Man]] (1993) (International markets only)
* [[Jack Frost]] (1998)

;Others
* [[The Real Ghostbusters]] (1986)
* [[Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The Animated Series]] (1990)
* [[Barney & Friends]] (1993)
* [[Animaniacs]] (1994)
* [[The Magic School Bus]] (1995)
* [[Spawn (film)|Spawn]] (1997)
* [[Rescue Heroes]] (1999)
* [[Medabots]] (2001)
* [[Voyage of the Unicorn]] (2001)
{{col-end}}



===Mascots===
Taco Bell has not had many mascots. In 1995, it introduced two mascots to promote the Taco Bell kids' meal, the [[The Ren and Stimpy Show|Ren and Stimpy-esque]] Nacho and Dog. Nacho was a crazy cat who got all his knowledge of the world by watching television and was obsessed with Mexican food. Dog was a dog who was more well-behaved than Nacho and got all his knowledge of the world by reading books. They were dropped in mid-1997.

In September 1997, the [[Taco Bell chihuahua]] was introduced. He spoke the line in commercials for their wildly popular "Yo quiero Taco Bell" campaign. In the [[Spanish language]], ''yo quiero'' means ''I want'' . The little dog's [[Pseudonym|real name]] was "[[Taco Bell chihuahua|Gidget]]", but that was never publicized in the [[Advertising campaign|ad campaign]]. The character was [[Voice actor|voiced]] by comedian, and cartoon voice-over artist, [[Carlos Alazraqui]] of ''[[Reno 911!]]'' and ''[[Rocko's Modern Life]]''. By 1998, the [[Taco Bell chihuahua]] was known as the biggest commercial star on the planet, but his popularity dropped significantly by 2000. As of the early-2000s, Taco Bell has gone away from the chihuahua and instead has promoted its [[Value Menu|value menu]] through "I'm Full!!" commercials and used "Think outside the bun" as its slogan. Gidget did, however, make a cameo in a 2002 [[Geico]] commercial where he met Geico's spokes-gecko. That commercial continued to air through 2004.

In the early 2000s, Taco Bell's hot sauce packets (Mild, Hot, and Fire) got a major makeover. The restaurant decided to implement a scheme that would make the condiments a [[conversation piece]]; quotes change regularly, and Taco Bell has created a contest to have patrons enter their ideas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tacobell.com/ourcompany/press/2004_05_19.htm |title=Taco Bell Press|accessdate=2007-05-03 }}</ref>

==Global locations==

;Australia
Taco Bell first opened stores in Australia in the early 1980s under the name 'Taco Amigo' because the trademark rights for 'Taco Bell' were already used by another company (Similar to the Burger King situation which led to Australian stores being named [[Hungry Jacks]]) the venture failed and stores closed down shortly afterwards.

Taco Bell returned to Australia in late 1998, this time under Taco Bell branding, and opened a handful of stores in [[Sydney]], many of which were multi-store restaurants formally standalone KFC or Pizza Hut locations. The venture only had moderate success, and eventually some standalone Taco Bell restaurants were 'split' to offer KFC as well. The Taco Bell dog was used in commercials with promotions such as 99 cent tacos used to encourage customers to try the chain. However, Sydneysiders never really warmed to the concept of Mexican fast food and Taco Bell closed its last outlet in December 2003. Former Taco Bell sites were rebranded as KFC or Pizza Hut.

;China
[[Image:Taco Bell-China-Logo.png|200px|thumb|right|Taco Bell Grande's Logo]]In 2003, [[Yum! Brands]] introduced the Taco Bell brand into [[People's Republic of China]]. The Chinese Taco Bell restaurants are not fast-food restaurants like other Taco Bells. Instead, they are full-service restaurants called '''Taco Bell Grande''' that are more analogous to a Mexican grill in the United States. In addition to the usual taco and burritos, Taco Bell Grande also serves other Mexican cuisine like [[albóndigas]] (meatball soup), [[tomatillo]] [[Chicken|grilled chicken]], [[fajita]]s, and [[Alcoholic beverage|alcoholic drinks]] such as [[Margarita]]s. Currently the chain has three restaurants in China, two in [[Shenzhen]] and one in [[Shanghai]].
{{clear}}

;Canada
In Canada, Taco Bell locations are quite common. The menu varies only slightly from the American counterpart. Most notably, Canadian locations sell [[French fries]]. The [[Fries Supreme]], French fries topped with ground beef, cheese, sour cream, and green onions is one of the more popular side-orders.

;United Kingdom
Currently, there are only two Taco Bell locations in England, both operated by [[AAFES]] on air bases [[RAF Mildenhall]] and [[RAF Lakenheath]]. They are not accessible to the general public and are in place for the benefit of the [[USAFE]].

The United Kingdom was the first European country with a Taco Bell. In 1986 a location was opened in London on [[Coventry Street]] (between [[Leicester Square]] and [[Piccadilly Circus]]) followed by a second location in [[Earls Court]] near the [[Earl's Court tube station]]. One other store opened in [[Uxbridge]] but all closed in the mid 1990s. Today the Coventry Street site is occupied by a branch of the sit-down restaurant chain [[TGI Friday's]]. In 1994 the university food provider [[Compass Group|Compass New Famous Foods]] announced plans to open stores in its [[university]] and [[college]] sites. However only one store was opened in [[Birmingham University]], no other stores were opened and the Birmingham site is now closed.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2001/07/26/26065/yankee-retreat.html Yankee retreat - 26 July 2001 - CatererSearch<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/1994/09/29/7345/compass-pilots-taco-bell-unit.html Compass pilots Taco Bell unit - 29 September 1994 - CatererSearch<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> There has been speculation that Taco Bell could return to the UK because of the success of supermarket brands like [[Old El Paso]], growing tourism travel to Mexico and Florida and popular American TV shows which promote Mexican food.<ref name="autogenerated1" />

;Germany
Currently, there are no public Taco Bell locations in major German cities. AAFES does operate several locations at major US bases in southern Germany. These secure locations are located at: Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern, Mannheim Gartenstadt, Heidelberg Shopping Center, Schweinfurt Ledward Barracks, Grafenwöhr PX Complex/Shopping Center, Baumholder and Wiesbaden Hainerberg. After 9/11, access for non-military customers was severely restricted.<ref>[http://www.fastfoodkids.de/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=24]</ref>

;Iceland
[[Iceland]] is currently the only country in Europe to have a publicly accessible Taco Bell. It is operated as a part of the KFC establishment in [[Hafnarfjörður]], suburb of [[Reykjavík]]. It was established in late 2006, after the departure of US Navy from [[Naval Air Station Keflavik]].

;Japan
Taco Bell is located on most Joint Japan/US Naval Bases like [[NAF Atsugi]], [[U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo]], and [[U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka|Yokosuka Naval Base]]. On Okinawa alone, there are 4 Taco Bell locations. One is at [[Kadena Air Base]] with the [[US Air Force]]. The remaining three are located with the [[US Marine Corps]] at [[Camp Foster]], [[Camp Schwab]], and [[Camp Hansen]]. Taco Bell Express, a smaller food-court variant, is also found at [[Misawa Air Base]] and [[Yokota Air Base]]. As with the other international locations on Military bases, access to the general public is restricted. Only Military personnel, dependents, and Contract personnel both DoD and Civilian and their authorized guests have access to them.

;Mexico
After a failed attempt to enter the market in 1992 that finished with all the restaurants closing 2 years later, in September 2007 Taco Bell returned to the country. The first restaurant in the northern city of [[Monterrey]] is part of a plan to open between 8 and 10 more locations in 2008 and eventually reach 300 stores.<ref>"http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9e0ce1dc123ff936a35755c0a964958260"</ref><ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21209104/ Taco Bell makes a run across the border - Food Inc. - MSNBC.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

;Philippines
In 2004, Taco Bell opened three restaurants in [[Manila]], [[Philippines]]. Subsequently, a fourth store was added. The Philippines hosts the most Taco Bell locations outside North America, excluding those which belong to overseas US Military-leased lands.

;Singapore
Currently there are a few KFC outlets in Singapore that also sell Taco Bell meals. An example is the Hougang KFC Taco Bell outlet in Heartland Mall, Hougang South, beside [[Kovan MRT Station]] along Upper Serangoon Road. There is also the new 3-in-1 freedom of choice outlets, serving Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC such as the branch in [[Funan DigitaLife Mall]] on North Bridge Road. However there are no restaurants selling only Taco Bell merchandise.

;South Korea
There is a Taco Bell located on [[Yongsan Garrison]] in Seoul, Korea for use of on-base personnel. There is also a Taco Bell on Kunsan Air Base.

;Spain
There is a Taco Bell/KFC outlet located on [[Naval Station Rota]] for use of personnel with authorization to be on-base. This is the only Taco Bell located in the [[Iberian Peninsula]].

==Controversies==
In 2000, it was discovered that Taco Bell used corn that was not approved for human consumption in at least some of its taco shells [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/09/18/biotech.corn.reut/index.html].

In November 2006, Taco Bell made local headlines when 22 customers were sickened by the [[E. Coli]] bacteria. The bacteria was traced to three [[New Jersey]] restaurants. While some people were hospitalized, none were severely harmed. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/04/health/main2227678.shtml]

In 2007, Taco Bell again made headlines in the [[New York Metro Area]] when a Taco Bell/KFC restaurant in Manhattan was overrun by rats; footage of the rodents scurrying about were shown on local news. The location was closed by order of the [[Department of Health]]. [http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/23/news/companies/taco_bell/].

==Logos==

<gallery>
Image:Former Taco Bell Logo.png|Taco Bell logo used from 1985 to 1994
Image:Taco Bell logo.svg|Current logo of Taco Bell
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Priszm]]
*[[Taco Bell chihuahua]]
*[[Enchirito]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons |Category:Taco Bell |Taco Bell}}
* http://inkpot.com/classical/bernmass.html
*[http://www.tacobell.com Official site].
*[http://www.tacobell.ca Canadian website].
*[http://www.tacobellking.com Taco Bell King, N.C. Website]
*[http://www.newsday.com/features/food/ny-bzdama065004571dec06,0,4605860.story?coll=ny-foodday-print Lessons In Taco Bell Trouble Newsday.com]
*[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-licoli1208,0,6765331.story?coll=ny-sports-columnists Family Files Suit Against Taco-Bell - Newsday.com]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cru_m7Y1dAU Viva Gorditas! Video of the Taco Bell Chihuahua]
*[http://www.forbes.com/infoimaging/feeds/ap/2006/12/07/ap3236728.html Taco-Bell Sued By Sick Boy With E-Coli - FORBES]
*[http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2006/december/120806.htm Information from FDA]
*[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_April_30/ai_n25364000]

{{Fast food restaurants}}
{{Yum!}}


[[Category:Compositions by Leonard Bernstein]]
[[Category:Taco Bell| ]]
[[Category:Fast-food franchises]]
[[Category:Fast-food chains of Canada]]
[[Category:Fast-food chains of the United States]]
[[Category:Restaurants in Orange County, California]]
[[Category:Fast-food Mexican restaurants]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1962]]
[[Category:Companies based in Irvine, California]]


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Revision as of 07:15, 14 October 2008

Taco Bell
Company typeWholly owned subsidiary
IndustryFast Food
FoundedJune 9, 1962 (Downey, California)
HeadquartersIrvine, California, United States
Key people
Glen Bell (founder)
Greg Creed (president/CEO)
ProductsTacos, burritos, and other Mexican cuisine-related fast food
RevenueIncrease$1.8 billion USD (2005)
Number of employees
175,000+
ParentYum! Brands
Websitetacobell.com

Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., is a restaurant chain based in Irvine, California specializing in Tex-Mex-inspired fast food. Most restaurants are located in North America, but there are also many in other countries. The menu focuses on taco and burrito variations, but many other selections are offered.

Corporate profile

History

File:Former Taco Bell Logo.png
The classic Taco Bell logo used from 1985-1994. It is still in use at many Taco Bell locations. A variation of the classic logo resembles the current logo.
File:TacoBellWausau.JPG
Taco Bell's original restaurant design with their first logo sign.

At the age of 23, Glenn Bell came home from serving in the Marine Corps during WWII. He went to San Bernadino, California, sure that there were would good market for recreational actvities that had disappeared during the war. His first business venture was a hot-dog stand called Bell’s Drive-In, where he learned the foundations of business.

Bell sold the stand in 1952 and started to create a better version. He didn’t want his stand to be like the McDonald brothers, who were starting their first stand at the time, so he strayed away from burgers and frys. After experimenting with alternative food items, Glen Bell opened three Taco-Tia stands in 1954 and 1955, which he later sold to his partners. He then opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California on March 21, 1962.

The first Taco Bell franchise was sold in 1964 and the company became public in 1969. In 1978, the chain was sold to PepsiCowith Owner Mary Pierson. The chain was spun off along with Pepsi's other fast food restaurant holdings as Tricon Global Restaurants in October 1997. Tricon became Yum! Brands in May 2002.

General operations

Taco Bell's headquarters in Irvine, California

Smaller Taco Bell outlets, offering a reduced version of the menu, appear in malls, airport terminals, university and military base dining halls, department stores, hotels, gas stations, sports stadiums, and other locations. Some school lunch programs also offer Taco Bell items under the Taco Bell Express branding.

The Taco Bell name is also used under license by Kraft Foods, which offers a line of taco shells, spices, salsa, and other Mexican foods (including full meal kits) featuring the Taco Bell Home Originals name in supermarkets nationwide.

As of 2005, there are 5,845 Taco Bell restaurants in the United States, including 1,252 company-owned locations, 3,803 franchisees, and 790 licenses. There is a 3% drop in branches compared with 2001.[1] Internationally there are 243 locations, 201 franchisees and 42 licensees, which adds up to growth of 2% since 2001.[2]

Over the last several years, Yum! Brands, Inc. has been co-locating its various restaurant franchises (KFC, Long John Silver's, A&W, and Pizza Hut).

Results

Taco Bell also has the largest sales per system unit in Yum!, having USD 1.17 million sales per system unit, excluding licensees.[3]

Co-branding

A Co-branded Taco Bell and KFC

Many Taco Bell Express brand outlets can be found in suburban strip malls, often adjacent to other Yum!-brand eateries, most notably Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Long John Silvers.

Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed in 1998 by Joseph Shields and Thomas Rinks alleged Taco Bell failed to pay them for use of the Chihuahua character they created. The men alleged that Taco Bell had breached payment on a contract after they worked with the restaurant chain for a year to develop the talking Chihuahua for use in marketing. The Chihuahua became a hit: In it, the character bypasses a female Chihuahua for a Taco Bell taco and declares: "Yo quiero Taco Bell." The two men received $30.1 million, plus an addition of $11.4 million in interest.[4] Taco Bell said it would appeal the verdict.

50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, filed a federal lawsuit against Taco Bell on July 23, 2008. The suit claims that his name was used in a print ad asking him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent as a part of the "Why Pay More?" campaign. 50 Cent was not aware of the ad until it came out, while fake letters containing the name change request were sent to the news media for promotional purposes. He is seeking $4 million in damages. [5]

Acquisitions

Border Bell

In 1997, PepsiCo experimented with a new "fresh grill" concept, opening at least one Border Bell restaurant in Mountain View, California on El Camino Real (SR 82). In addition to a subset of the regular Taco Bell menu, Border Bell offered Mexican-inspired items like those available from Chevys Fresh Mex restaurants (then owned by PepsiCo), such as Chevys signature sweet corn tamalito pudding and a fresh salsa bar.[6] Close to the time that PepsiCo spun off its restaurant business in 1997, the Border Bell in Mountain View was closed and converted to a Taco Bell restaurant, which is still open as of 2008.

Products

Taco Bell menu

Taco Bell's dessert options include the Caramel Apple Empanada and Cinnamon Twists. Sides include nachos, pintos and cheese, and a cup of rice which used to come with a double portion of rice, red sauce, cheese, and formerly green onion, though this ingredient is no longer carried after an E. coli scare. As of 2008, Taco Bell has removed the red sauce and cheese from the sides of rice.

Big Bell Value menu

In the late-1980s, Taco Bell commonly advertised its "59, 79, 99" pricing plan, in which nearly everything on the menu was priced at 59¢, 79¢, or 99¢.

Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme

Despite Taco Bell's inexpensive prices, its least expensive menus did not appear until the mid-2000s. The introduction of the value menu also brought new items to the restaurant's offerings, notably items made with potatoes and Taco Bell's third dessert, the Caramel Apple Empanada. (Cinnamon Crispas, triangular fried flour tortilla shells, were offered until being replaced by Cinnamon Twists.) The Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito recently replaced the Bean Burrito Especial, which was removed because of its small profit margin. However, the Bean Burrito Especial is still on The Big Bell Value Menu in some markets in the western markets in addition to the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito. Also of note is that half of the menu is not truly new, as Beef Combo Burritos, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos, Double Decker Tacos, and both Spicy Chicken items had been on the regular menu before, as permanent or limited time only items.

The Big Bell Value Menu usually includes:

  • Grande Soft Taco: two 6" tortillas with nacho cheese in between, a double portion of beef, then lettuce and cheese
  • Double Decker Taco: beans on a 6" tortilla wrapped around a crunchy taco with beef, lettuce, and cheese
  • Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito: beans, rice, nacho cheese, 3-cheese blend, jalapeño sauce, and fiesta salsa
  • Beef Combo Burrito: beans, a double portion of beef, red sauce, cheese, and onion
  • Beef & Potato Burrito: beef, red sauce, potatoes, and sour cream
  • Spicy Chicken Burrito: spicy chicken, rice, creamy jalapeño sauce, and fiesta salsa
  • Spicy Chicken Soft Taco: spicy chicken (1.5 oz), lettuce (.5 oz), fiesta salsa (.5 oz.)
  • Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes: warm nacho cheese, cool sour cream, golden fried potatoes
  • Caramel Apple Empanada: warm caramel sauce and apple chunks

Why Pay More Value Menu

In May 2008, a new value meal called Why Pay More Value Menu debuted. This new value menu contains some of the items from the previous value menu as well as a variety of new ones. [7]

http://www.tacobell.com/valuemenu/

The menu is:

79¢ Items:

  • Melted Three Cheese Rollup (New): flour tortilla with a blend of three cheeses
  • Triple Layer Nachos (New): nacho chips with Taco Bell's Red Sauce, beans and nacho cheese sauce
  • Cinnamon Twists

89¢ Items:

  • Crunchy Taco
  • Soft Taco
  • Cheesy Double Beef Burrito (New): flour tortilla with two portions of beef, Mexican rice and nacho cheese sauce
  • Volcano Taco (New): Red hard shell tortilla with seasoned beef, real cheddar cheese, lettuce and Cheesy Lava Sauce.

99¢ Items:

  • Big Taste Taco (New): flour tortilla with beef, lettuce, crunchy Red Strips, cheddar cheese and Creamy Jalapeño Sauce
  • Bean Burrito
  • 1/2 lb. Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
  • Caramel Apple Empanada

Frutista Freeze

In May 2008, a frozen drink called Frutista Freeze debuted. The two flavors are Mango Strawberry and Strawberry: both topped with strawberries.

http://www.tacobell.com/frutistafreeze/

Big Bell Box Meal

In April 2008, Taco Bell introduced the Big Bell Box Meal with a Bacon Club Chalupa, Beef Crunchy Taco, Bean Burrito, and Cinnamon Twists served in a box with a large drink. Every month the contents of the box change with the new promotional item.

http://www.tacobell.com/bigbox/

Launched with broadcast TV advertising in April 2008 featuring comedic radio personality Adam Carolla who prompts viewers to "eat like a man" and that they "deserve a meal made for men."

Promotional/discontinued items

  • 7-Layer Crunchwrap (still available in some locations)
  • Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito
  • Bacon Cheeseburger Taco Supreme
  • The Bell-Beefer - a taco like hamburger with a hamburger bun, taco meat, cheese, tomato, and lettuce.
  • BLT Chicken Soft Taco
  • Border Ices - Tropical flavored ice pops
  • The Cheesarito
  • The Cheesy Beefy Melt
  • Cheesy Gordita Crunch (still available in some locations)
  • Chicken Caesar Grilled Stuft Burrito
  • Chicken and Steak Grilled Taquitos (now on permanent menu)
  • Chicken Enchilada Grilled Stuft Burrito
  • Chicken Fajita Burrito
  • Chili Cheese Burrito [2]
  • Chili Cheese Nachos Bellgrande
  • Club Chalupa (first released in 2004, currently on a second run in spring of 2008. Now labeled as the "Bacon Club Chalupa" however the ingredients are the same.
  • Crunchwrap Supreme (now on permanent menu)
  • Enchirito (now on permanent menu -- had been discontinued for years and brought back recently, albeit with a slightly different preparation)
  • Extreme Cheese and Beef Quesadilla
  • Good Humor's Choco Taco was also offered for a short while
  • Grande Quesadilla
  • Fritos Burrito - a burrito filled with spicy chili, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and Fritos corn chips
  • Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft Burrito
  • Steak Burrito Bellgrande - A burrito filled with steak, cheese, pico sauce, green sauce and miniature tater tots.
  • Taco Bellgrande
  • Ultimate Chalupa - Chalupa with chicken or steak, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, 3 cheese blend, and fiesta salsa
  • Volcano Burrito (a special promotion in conjunction with the 1995 film Congo)
  • Zesty Nachos
  • In 2007, Taco Bell test marketed a breakfast menu in Omaha, Toledo, Fresno, and Tucson. The menu featured eight breakfast items, including a version of the popular grilled stuft burrito with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. The menu has been discontinued.

In 1991, Taco Bell launched a Fiesta menu which had smaller sized versions of four their popular menu items: the taco, soft taco, bean burrito and tostada. Each item was approximately 40% smaller than the normal versions and cost $.39 each.

In the early-1990s, Taco Bell changed its menu due to pressure concerning the nutritional value of items labeled "Lite". It was believed the term was vague or possibly deceptive. Many items were dropped entirely from the menu, such as the "Taco Lite", a fried flour tortilla shell with lean beef, fat free sour cream, lettuce, reduced fat cheese, and tomatoes. Some items were altered to change the nutritional values, such as the removal of olives from the list of ingredients, in an effort to reduce sodium.

Taco Bell's current restaurant design

In early 1994, Taco Bell transformed the familiar rainbow logo, in favor of a simpler pink/purple combo logo in an effort to revitalize their almost 20 year old logo. This was done after a movie placement tie-in with Demolition Man. In the sci-fi story Taco Bell is the only remaining restaurant chain in the world. The Taco Bell is portrayed in the futuristic purple and pink design.

Reduction of trans fats

As of April, 2007, Taco Bell has switched to zero trans fat frying oil in all of its US single-branded locations.[8]

This has greatly reduced the levels of trans fats in most Taco Bell menu items, but they are still not completely free of trans fats.

"Fresco Menu"

In 2003, Taco Bell launched the "fresco style" menu. [9] By ordering something fresco style, the item's cheese and/or sauce is replaced by the chain's fiesta salsa. Using this option cuts the fat in the product in half in some cases. [10]

In January 2008, Taco Bell launched a Fresco menu. It has items with less than 9 fat grams and a freshly prepared Fiesta Salsa. The Fiesta Salsa is a zesty mix of diced tomatoes, white onions and cilantro that replaces the cheese, sour cream, and sauce (with exception to red sauce and green sauce) and adds only five calories per serving and no fat.

http://www.tacobell.com/fresco/

The Fresco Menu includes the following items:

  • Fresco Crunchy Taco - 8 grams of fat - 150 calories
  • Fresco BURRITO SUPREME[R] - Chicken - 8 grams of fat - 330 calories
  • Fresco BURRITO SUPREME[R] - Steak - 8 grams of fat - 330 calories
  • Fresco Bean Burrito - 7 grams of fat - 330 calories
  • Fresco Fiesta Burrito - Chicken - 8 grams of fat - 330 calories
  • Fresco Soft Taco - 7 grams of fat - 180 calories
  • Fresco Zesty Chicken BORDER BOWL[R] - 8 grams of fat - 350 calories
  • Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco - 4.5 grams of fat - 160 calories
  • Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco - 4 grams of fat - 170 calories

Advertising

In 1995, Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon appeared in a series of commercials promoting the Double Decker Taco, which would become a permanent menu item.

On April 1, 1996, Taco Bell took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times announcing that they had purchased the Liberty Bell to "reduce the country's debt" and renamed it to "the Taco Liberty Bell." Thousands of people who did not immediately understand the press release as an April Fool's Day hoax protested.

In March 2001, Taco Bell announced a promotion to coincide with the re-entry of the Mir space station. They towed a large target out into the Pacific Ocean, announcing that if the target was hit by a falling piece of Mir, every person in the United States would be entitled to a free Taco Bell taco. The company bought a sizable insurance policy for this gamble.[11] No piece of the station struck the target.

In 2003, Costa Rican Taco Bell franchises temporarily marketed their tacos as "Tacos ticos", because for Costa Ricans, the word "taco" refers to what is known in Mexico as a flauta. ("Tico" is a colloquial term for natives of Costa Rica.)[citation needed]

In 2004, a local Taco Bell franchisee bought the naming rights to the former Boise State Pavilion in Boise, Idaho and renamed the stadium the Taco Bell Arena. [3]

In the summer of 2004, PepsiCo and Taco Bell introduced Mountain Dew Baja Blast. The tropical-lime flavored drink is exclusive to Taco Bell stores. Along with this, Taco Bell introduced its Mountain Dew "Viva Variety!" promotional campaign, where the advertising on the soft drink fountain shows three cups of Mountain Dew—one regular, one Code Red and one Baja Blast.

In 2007 Taco Bell offered the "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" promotion—if any player from either team stole a base in the 2007 World Series the company would give away free tacos to everyone in America in a campaign similar to the Mir promotion.[12] After Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox stole a base, the company paid out this promotion on October 30, 2007.

Added to the official menu in early 2007, the Grilled Taquito is Taco Bell's latest permanent product. Some of their most recent "limited time only" items have included the Ultimate Chalupa (chalupa with chicken or steak, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, three-cheese blend, and fiesta salsa), and the Nacho Crunch Grilled Stuft Burrito.

A commercial in May 2008 features two men at the speaker in the Taco Bell drive-thru, for the 89-cent burrito promo. They start rapping about the burrito to an employee named Stephanie. In response to the popular commercial, some people actually went to Taco Bells and did the rap.[citation needed]

Taco Bell sponsors a promotion at home games for both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Cleveland Cavaliers in which, if the home team scores 100 points or more, everyone in attendance receives a coupon for a free Chalupa. This tradition started sometime around 1999.[13]

Promotional partners


Mascots

Taco Bell has not had many mascots. In 1995, it introduced two mascots to promote the Taco Bell kids' meal, the Ren and Stimpy-esque Nacho and Dog. Nacho was a crazy cat who got all his knowledge of the world by watching television and was obsessed with Mexican food. Dog was a dog who was more well-behaved than Nacho and got all his knowledge of the world by reading books. They were dropped in mid-1997.

In September 1997, the Taco Bell chihuahua was introduced. He spoke the line in commercials for their wildly popular "Yo quiero Taco Bell" campaign. In the Spanish language, yo quiero means I want . The little dog's real name was "Gidget", but that was never publicized in the ad campaign. The character was voiced by comedian, and cartoon voice-over artist, Carlos Alazraqui of Reno 911! and Rocko's Modern Life. By 1998, the Taco Bell chihuahua was known as the biggest commercial star on the planet, but his popularity dropped significantly by 2000. As of the early-2000s, Taco Bell has gone away from the chihuahua and instead has promoted its value menu through "I'm Full!!" commercials and used "Think outside the bun" as its slogan. Gidget did, however, make a cameo in a 2002 Geico commercial where he met Geico's spokes-gecko. That commercial continued to air through 2004.

In the early 2000s, Taco Bell's hot sauce packets (Mild, Hot, and Fire) got a major makeover. The restaurant decided to implement a scheme that would make the condiments a conversation piece; quotes change regularly, and Taco Bell has created a contest to have patrons enter their ideas.[14]

Global locations

Australia

Taco Bell first opened stores in Australia in the early 1980s under the name 'Taco Amigo' because the trademark rights for 'Taco Bell' were already used by another company (Similar to the Burger King situation which led to Australian stores being named Hungry Jacks) the venture failed and stores closed down shortly afterwards.

Taco Bell returned to Australia in late 1998, this time under Taco Bell branding, and opened a handful of stores in Sydney, many of which were multi-store restaurants formally standalone KFC or Pizza Hut locations. The venture only had moderate success, and eventually some standalone Taco Bell restaurants were 'split' to offer KFC as well. The Taco Bell dog was used in commercials with promotions such as 99 cent tacos used to encourage customers to try the chain. However, Sydneysiders never really warmed to the concept of Mexican fast food and Taco Bell closed its last outlet in December 2003. Former Taco Bell sites were rebranded as KFC or Pizza Hut.

China
File:Taco Bell-China-Logo.png
Taco Bell Grande's Logo

In 2003, Yum! Brands introduced the Taco Bell brand into People's Republic of China. The Chinese Taco Bell restaurants are not fast-food restaurants like other Taco Bells. Instead, they are full-service restaurants called Taco Bell Grande that are more analogous to a Mexican grill in the United States. In addition to the usual taco and burritos, Taco Bell Grande also serves other Mexican cuisine like albóndigas (meatball soup), tomatillo grilled chicken, fajitas, and alcoholic drinks such as Margaritas. Currently the chain has three restaurants in China, two in Shenzhen and one in Shanghai.

Canada

In Canada, Taco Bell locations are quite common. The menu varies only slightly from the American counterpart. Most notably, Canadian locations sell French fries. The Fries Supreme, French fries topped with ground beef, cheese, sour cream, and green onions is one of the more popular side-orders.

United Kingdom

Currently, there are only two Taco Bell locations in England, both operated by AAFES on air bases RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath. They are not accessible to the general public and are in place for the benefit of the USAFE.

The United Kingdom was the first European country with a Taco Bell. In 1986 a location was opened in London on Coventry Street (between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus) followed by a second location in Earls Court near the Earl's Court tube station. One other store opened in Uxbridge but all closed in the mid 1990s. Today the Coventry Street site is occupied by a branch of the sit-down restaurant chain TGI Friday's. In 1994 the university food provider Compass New Famous Foods announced plans to open stores in its university and college sites. However only one store was opened in Birmingham University, no other stores were opened and the Birmingham site is now closed.[15][16] There has been speculation that Taco Bell could return to the UK because of the success of supermarket brands like Old El Paso, growing tourism travel to Mexico and Florida and popular American TV shows which promote Mexican food.[15]

Germany

Currently, there are no public Taco Bell locations in major German cities. AAFES does operate several locations at major US bases in southern Germany. These secure locations are located at: Ramstein Air Base near Kaiserslautern, Mannheim Gartenstadt, Heidelberg Shopping Center, Schweinfurt Ledward Barracks, Grafenwöhr PX Complex/Shopping Center, Baumholder and Wiesbaden Hainerberg. After 9/11, access for non-military customers was severely restricted.[17]

Iceland

Iceland is currently the only country in Europe to have a publicly accessible Taco Bell. It is operated as a part of the KFC establishment in Hafnarfjörður, suburb of Reykjavík. It was established in late 2006, after the departure of US Navy from Naval Air Station Keflavik.

Japan

Taco Bell is located on most Joint Japan/US Naval Bases like NAF Atsugi, U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, and Yokosuka Naval Base. On Okinawa alone, there are 4 Taco Bell locations. One is at Kadena Air Base with the US Air Force. The remaining three are located with the US Marine Corps at Camp Foster, Camp Schwab, and Camp Hansen. Taco Bell Express, a smaller food-court variant, is also found at Misawa Air Base and Yokota Air Base. As with the other international locations on Military bases, access to the general public is restricted. Only Military personnel, dependents, and Contract personnel both DoD and Civilian and their authorized guests have access to them.

Mexico

After a failed attempt to enter the market in 1992 that finished with all the restaurants closing 2 years later, in September 2007 Taco Bell returned to the country. The first restaurant in the northern city of Monterrey is part of a plan to open between 8 and 10 more locations in 2008 and eventually reach 300 stores.[18][19]

Philippines

In 2004, Taco Bell opened three restaurants in Manila, Philippines. Subsequently, a fourth store was added. The Philippines hosts the most Taco Bell locations outside North America, excluding those which belong to overseas US Military-leased lands.

Singapore

Currently there are a few KFC outlets in Singapore that also sell Taco Bell meals. An example is the Hougang KFC Taco Bell outlet in Heartland Mall, Hougang South, beside Kovan MRT Station along Upper Serangoon Road. There is also the new 3-in-1 freedom of choice outlets, serving Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC such as the branch in Funan DigitaLife Mall on North Bridge Road. However there are no restaurants selling only Taco Bell merchandise.

South Korea

There is a Taco Bell located on Yongsan Garrison in Seoul, Korea for use of on-base personnel. There is also a Taco Bell on Kunsan Air Base.

Spain

There is a Taco Bell/KFC outlet located on Naval Station Rota for use of personnel with authorization to be on-base. This is the only Taco Bell located in the Iberian Peninsula.

Controversies

In 2000, it was discovered that Taco Bell used corn that was not approved for human consumption in at least some of its taco shells [4].

In November 2006, Taco Bell made local headlines when 22 customers were sickened by the E. Coli bacteria. The bacteria was traced to three New Jersey restaurants. While some people were hospitalized, none were severely harmed. [5]

In 2007, Taco Bell again made headlines in the New York Metro Area when a Taco Bell/KFC restaurant in Manhattan was overrun by rats; footage of the rodents scurrying about were shown on local news. The location was closed by order of the Department of Health. [6].

Logos

See also

References

  1. ^ [PDF]Yum! Brands. Worldwide System Restaurants Full-year 2005, located at http://www.yum.com/investors/media/units_ww.pdf, assessed 13 December, 2006.
  2. ^ Ibid.
  3. ^ [PDF] Yum!Brands 2007 Annual report.
  4. ^ USATODAY.com - Chihuahua idea men win Taco Bell suit
  5. ^ Maull, Samuel (2008-07-24). ""50 Cent sues Taco Bell, saying it used his name in 99 Cent ad without permission"". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  6. ^ Image of promotional Border Bell menu
  7. ^ Bell Gives Consumers More Variety for Less Money with New 79-89-99 Why Pay More Value Menu (Press Release)
  8. ^ TB Nutrition Calculator
  9. ^ Hispanic PR Wire - Taco Bell 'Fresco Style' Cuts the Fat, Not the Flavor; Company Announces New Option for Health-Conscious Consumers
  10. ^ Taco Bell
  11. ^ Taco Bell press release March 19, 2001
  12. ^ Taco Bell's Big Enchilada - Forbes.com
  13. ^ http://www.cnbc.com/id/22589647?__source=RSS*blog*&par=RSS
  14. ^ "Taco Bell Press". Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  15. ^ a b Yankee retreat - 26 July 2001 - CatererSearch
  16. ^ Compass pilots Taco Bell unit - 29 September 1994 - CatererSearch
  17. ^ [1]
  18. ^ "http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9e0ce1dc123ff936a35755c0a964958260"
  19. ^ Taco Bell makes a run across the border - Food Inc. - MSNBC.com

External links

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