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Taco Bell has long been the punchline of diarrhea jokes, but after an actual parasite outbreak, the chain is betting $1 favorites can help customers stomach a return.
The fast-food chain has rolled out a string of steep discounts, including its fan-favorite Mexican pizza, as it attempts to recover from declining traffic tied to a cyclospora outbreak.
The outbreak was linked to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and served at some Taco Bell locations, prompting the chain to remove the affected produce from its restaurants in July.
One Chicago customer said he was hospitalized with suspected cyclosporiasis after eating a lettuce-topped Taco Bell chalupa, suffering fever, vomiting and “explosive diarrhea” for days.
Now, Taco Bell is highlighting menu items that skip lettuce altogether, offering $1 Enchiritos, Mexican pizzas and nacho fries while trying to reassure its fiercely loyal fanbase that it is safe to come back.
Earlier this week, the chain offered its Mexican pizza for just $1 for one day at participating locations, following similar promotions for the Enchiritos and $1 regular nacho fries for rewards members ordering through the Taco Bell app.
The Mexican pizza, which typically costs around $5.69, is made with seasoned beef, refried beans, two crispy flour tortilla shells, Mexican pizza sauce, tomatoes and a three-cheese blend, but no shredded lettuce.
The discount push comes as Taco Bell continues to feel the fallout from the outbreak. Foot traffic at the chain has reportedly declined each day since July 13.
Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant also attempted to reassure customers in a letter posted to LinkedIn, thanking the chain’s fans for standing by the company during the crisis.
“You have always stood by us, and we will always stand by you,” Tresvant wrote. “We felt the love. Through the posts. The comments. The stories. We saw them all.”
The company has leaned heavily on its loyal fanbase while promoting the discounted, lettuce-free items across social media, though not everyone affected by the outbreak was feeling the love.
One X user asked who he could “class action sue,” claiming his wife had been battling the illness for 12 days.
Another said she never stopped eating at Taco Bell because the chain had brought back her favorite Enchirito, adding that she had never gotten sick from the restaurant.
Taco Bell announced in mid-July that it had completed the removal of the affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants.
Taylor Farms also voluntarily pulled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market as federal officials investigated the outbreak.
Although an initial laboratory test on a lettuce sample was later determined to be a false positive, the FDA said epidemiological evidence continued to support the recall and identify the lettuce as the likely source of the outbreak.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause prolonged diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps and fatigue after contaminated food or water is consumed.
For Taco Bell, the challenge now is convincing customers that the lettuce is gone and that its reputation for upsetting stomachs can go back to being just a joke.
