Taco Bell believes it has identified its newest growth market: quick-serve meals and healthier options. According to a recent
story in the
Nation's Restaurant News, Yum Brands, Inc. (Taco Bell's parent corporation) will focus on new healthy and premium offerings.
Among the potential new items are a half-pound burrito with premium meat (maybe not so healthy), a 10-taco dinner kit priced at $15, and an overhaul of the
Fresco menu -- which focuses on menu items like soft tacos or burritos with less fat content. At the Taco Bell investors' meeting, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch analyst Joe Buckley talked about the new breakfast menu that will be test-marketed this year:
"The retooled breakfast menu, which is on the cusp of entering early market testing ... features co-branded products with established breakfast brands [including] Seattle's Best, Dole, Cinnabon and Jimmy Dean."
In the beginning of 2010, look for Taco Bell to introduce a new campaign, the "Drive-Thru Diet," aimed at those who have decided to lose weight as a New Year's resolution. But the rebranding of a fast-food company as a healthy option is not easy. Earlier this year, Kentucky Fried Chicken introduced
Kentucky Grilled Chicken in an attempt to move away from the fried portion of its name. In 2004, McDonald's pushed a new line of salads by giving away pedometers as part of its
Go Active meal. In the end, people might be better served by skipping the drive-through.
Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Taco Bell manages to combine lettuce, tortillas, cheese, beans, and meat to form the new items. They are the MacGyver of fast food chains.
[Image via Flickr: compujeramy]
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