Taco Bell's New Items Are Wildly Overpriced, Customers Say
Taco Bell served up a surprise for fans this week by adding five items to its menu, including returning favorites as well as some brand-new ones. But for some customers, the excitement over the new additions quickly dissipated as they saw the pricing.
The Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito and Bacon Club Chalupa, both of which have seen temporary runs on the menu in the past, were among the items that Taco Bell added this week. The chain also started offering a new tropical twist on its Blue Raspberry and Wild Cherry Freezes, and launched the brand-new Cheesy Chicken Crispanada and Double Stacked Tacos in select markets.
The Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito is listed for a suggested price of $3.49 and the Bacon Club Chalupa is listed for $4.99 on Taco Bell's website. But some customers learned just how much those suggested prices can vary by location.
One customer shared a picture on the Taco Bell subreddit showing the Bacon Club Chalupa priced at $6.39. Fellow Reddit users were shocked and angered by the price tag on the item, and made their disapproval very clear.
"I've honestly just stopped going because of these prices. Better quality food for [the] same price elsewhere," one user responded.
"Yikes. I'd rather go to a local place or even a Qdoba or Chipotle. I'd have a hard time justifying that price," another commented.
Customers also chimed in to share prices at their local restaurants for the Bacon Club Chalupa, which comes with grilled chicken, bacon, avocado ranch sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and a three cheese blend packed inside a chalupa shell. While some reported prices closer to $4.99, others said that the menu item was going for more than $7 near them.
Redditors encountered a similar issue with the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito, which comes with a double portion of grilled, marinated steak, as well as seasoned rice, and sauce. In another thread on the Taco Bell subreddit, a customer shared a picture showing that a single burrito was priced at $10.99.
Reddit users dismissed these prices as "insane" and suggested that customers could get a better deal at Chipotle or a legitimate Mexican restaurant.
And for others, the biggest takeaway from the pricing complaints was that you can't beat the cost-effectiveness of avoiding eating out altogether.
"Newsflash: Even at normal/regular prices, it's cheaper to eat at home…," a Reddit user commented.
"Our collaborative franchisee-Taco Bell model means that restaurant prices and hours vary," a Taco Bell spokesperson said in a statement responding to the pricing complaints. "As you're familiar with, we don't share details of our pricing strategy for competitive reasons, but many factors come into play including the local market cost of living, product demand, labor and food costs."
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