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Taco Bell goes upscale with Cantina Bell menu, expands Doritos Tacos line
America Now News / The Christian Science Monitor ^ | June 13, 2012 | Schuyler Velasco

Posted on 06/27/2012 6:07:05 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Taco Bell menu items may be helping the chain cater to a broader clientele. But don't worry -- it's not forgetting its core customer base.

The Tex-Mex fast food giant, owned by Yum! Brands, Inc., has announced its rollout of the new Cantina Bell menu, to hit Taco Bell stores next month. Conceived with help from Miami-based celebrity chef Lorena Garcia, the new Taco Bell menu items include a burrito and a "Cantina Bowl," chock-full of ingredients like marinated grilled chicken, Hass avocados, corn and pepper salsa, and whole black beans.

Taco Bell has been market testing the new menu items since January, and a national rollout is planned for July 5. "Cantina Bell will introduce vibrant flavors to millions of Americans, all the while complementing the tastes of Taco Bell's existing core menu," Yum! Brands said in a press release.

"You'll love it, or we'll replace it with something you do. Guaranteed (but we're pretty sure you'll love it)," the Cantina Bell website reads.

The menu is a clear stab at competitor Chipotle, which dominates the Mexican fast-casual market. But Taco Bell's prices are cheaper. Both the burrito and the Cantina Bowl -- which come in steak, chicken, or vegetarian options -- will retail at under $5, while comparable menu items will set you back about $8 at Chipotle (which increased its prices in June of last year). In addition to the two entrées, the Cantina Bell menu offers two side options: chips and guacamole and black beans and rice, each for $1.49.

The rollout comes after a good start to the fiscal year for Taco Bell...

(Excerpt) Read more at americanownews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: economy; fastfood; florida; food
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Good news for us poor people.
1 posted on 06/27/2012 6:07:21 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

After the fast food wars, all restaurants are Taco Bell.


2 posted on 06/27/2012 6:10:19 PM PDT by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It’s easy to say ‘I would have thought of that’ but I have always wondered why the Doritos/Taco Bell marriage didn’t occur years ago.


3 posted on 06/27/2012 6:11:38 PM PDT by relictele
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I’m waiting for the Cool Ranch Dorito taco. The regular Doritos shell was awesome, but the CRD one will be stellar.


4 posted on 06/27/2012 6:12:08 PM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature ($1.84 - The price of a gallon of gas on Jan. 20th, 2009.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Sounds good, but their Dorito tacos are a crock. They might be a dorito chip, but they don't have the FREAKING DORITO SEASONING! It's just a corn tortia by another company without the seasoning. It irritates me to no end how they make a big deal of it when it tastes just like a normal taco.
5 posted on 06/27/2012 6:14:55 PM PDT by nerdwithagun (I'd rather go gun to gun then knife to knife.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If this new menu actually resembles Mexican food that will be a great 1st for the chain.


6 posted on 06/27/2012 6:21:12 PM PDT by Proud2BeRight
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They’ve tried “upscale” stuff before, but I don’t think it ever sells. If we want good Mexican, we’re not going to Taco Bell, no matter how cheap it is.

Hell, I can go to an authentic tacqueria and get real carne asada tacos for 1.50 each, with real mexican queso, cilantro, onions, and free chips and pico de gallo. Neither Taco Bell or Chipotle can compete with that.


7 posted on 06/27/2012 6:23:00 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Cantina Bowl” = “E.Coli Special”!


8 posted on 06/27/2012 6:28:29 PM PDT by TaMoDee ( Lassez les bons temps rouler dans les 2012! Allez Pack!)
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To: Boogieman

Not every locale has authentic tacquerias. They’ve sold over 100 million of those Doritos tacos since early March. Sounds like they’re on a roll.


9 posted on 06/27/2012 6:29:33 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (In honor of my late father, GunnerySgt/Commo Chief, USMC 1943-65)
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To: Boogieman
Hell, I can go to an authentic tacqueria and get real carne asada tacos for 1.50 each, with real mexican queso, cilantro, onions, and free chips and pico de gallo. Neither Taco Bell or Chipotle can compete with that.

The best Mexican food I've ever eaten were burritos grilled up out of a taco truck in San Diego.

If Taco Bell could figure those out, I'd eat there every day.

10 posted on 06/27/2012 6:33:58 PM PDT by Drew68 (I WILL vote to defeat Barack Hussein Obama!)
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To: TaMoDee

I’ve been sick half a dozen times after going to Chinese Buffet restaurants (but still go, I like Chinese) but have never had food poisoning from any Mexican restaurant, be it Taco Bell or a hole in the wall.


11 posted on 06/27/2012 6:36:16 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (In honor of my late father, GunnerySgt/Commo Chief, USMC 1943-65)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Not every locale has authentic tacquerias.”

Well, now that Obama has cleared the way, they’ll be coming. Welcome to Sanctuary USA :)


12 posted on 06/27/2012 6:38:53 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Bryanw92

I miss that little dog


13 posted on 06/27/2012 6:44:01 PM PDT by molson209
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To: Drew68
We don't have many taco trucks around here yet, but they just started allowing food trucks last year, so it might be happening soon. In the meantime, I've developed a checklist for detecting a good tacqueria. Look for:

1) Circular Mayan Calendar scultpure on the wall:

2) Paintings of Aztec warriors with feather headress:

3) Shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe:

4) Television tuned to only Futbol or Mexican Soap Operas:

5) Al Pastor Spit behind the counter:

6) Menu contains items like "cabeza" and "lengua":

If you can check off at least 4 of these items, you are probably going to be eating some darn good Mexican food!

14 posted on 06/27/2012 6:58:06 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I assume that you need a colon clean out every once in awhile! (I guess at Qu Chi you didn’t get enough of that “Oriental Action”. :>)


15 posted on 06/27/2012 6:58:36 PM PDT by TaMoDee ( Lassez les bons temps rouler dans les 2012! Allez Pack!)
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To: IllumiNaughtyByNature

They are made by Pepsico with the CEO b&^ch that hates America.


16 posted on 06/27/2012 7:02:04 PM PDT by bmwcyle (Corollary - Electing the same person over and over and expecting a different outcome is insanity)
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To: Boogieman

I see you’ve been to Tacos Nayarit in Durango. Also, real tacos have cabbage not lettuce on them.


17 posted on 06/27/2012 7:03:32 PM PDT by Illuminatas (Obama - Dumber Than Bush!)
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To: Illuminatas

Actually, I just grabbed all those images off the web, so it wasn’t me that went there :)

Never had tacos with cabbage. Around here, the tacos come with onions and cilantro only, with queso and crema by request. If you order it with lettuce and tomato, it’s called a “gringo taco”.


18 posted on 06/27/2012 7:07:10 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Drew68
The best Mexican food I've ever eaten were burritos grilled up out of a taco truck in San Diego.

Best Mexican food I've ever eaten was also in San Diego, at Roberto's. OK, maybe not the best, but pretty good for 3 AM when you're in college.
19 posted on 06/27/2012 7:19:26 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: Boogieman

Carnitas and carne asada street style tacos should be just onion and cilantro, but fish and shrimp tacos need some cabbage.


20 posted on 06/27/2012 7:20:58 PM PDT by ApeStyle
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