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Taco Bell (YUM+0.12%) is tapping into nostalgia with the return of some classic menu items, hoping to rekindle the magic for long-time customers.
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The decision to revive classics like the Tostada, Meximelt, and Gordita Supreme is driven by consumer demand – and quite literally, choice – CEO Sean Tresvant recently said in an interview on LinkedIn (MSFT-0.65%).
“There’s an old saying that the customer decides,” Tresvant said.
Taco Bell has been proactive in using social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram (META-0.41%) to engage with users, and the Tex-Mex chain has even gone so far as to let customers vote through the Taco Bell app on which menu items should make a comeback.
Nostalgia can be a powerful tool for brands, but it also has its limits. “The idea is not to be totally beholden to people’s nostalgia,” Tresvant says. “You have to push them forward, too.”
The Decades Menu – which brings back items from each era since Taco Bell’s founding in 1962 – is a nod to the past and a way to bridge generations, according to Tresvant. The menu items are priced under $3.
Striking a balance between nostalgia and innovation is crucial for the chain to remain competitive. To that end, Taco Bell’s upcoming $7 Luxe Cravings Box will include previously phased-out items like the Gordita Supreme, alongside new items like the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, which was introduced in 2009.
For Taco Bell, looking to the future — or at least attempting to do so — is a key part of its strategy, be it through chaotic additions to its menu or tech experiments. In July, the company said it would roll out an AI voice assistant for its drive-thru employees in 13 U.S. states.
Managing a system as large as Taco Bell, now with over 7,000 stores and franchisees who have their own expectations, means you can’t have control over everything, Tresvant said. However, it does highlight the need to take some bold risks, even when ideas don’t always work out.
“You can’t take big swings and expect to hit home runs every time,” he said.
