The Taco Bell Waffle Taco That Didn't Last Long Enough
Fast-food chains are often coming up with new menu items and cool and curious ways to present food. Taco Bell is no exception. As this chain's name implies, tacos are a central point, even on its breakfast menu. So in an effort to combine morning classics, such as eggs and sausages, the company came up with the idea to use a waffle in place of a tortilla for a breakfast-style version, aptly calling it the waffle taco.
The idea was quite savvy — use a sweet treat as the holder of the savory ingredients of soft and fluffy scrambled eggs along with a round sausage patty. It was served with a maple syrup packet, so the customer could drizzle on just how much syrupy goodness they prefer. The goal was to boost sales by encouraging customers to try Taco Bell's breakfast menu. The waffle taco was tested at locations in Southern and Central Orange County, according to Thrillist.
The waffle taco concept didn't last long
With plenty of positive feedback from taste testers during an initial six-week trial period, which was extended for an additional two weeks, according to Thrillist, the waffle taco landed on menus throughout Taco Bell stores nationwide. Yet, despite its success with testers, when it came to customers ordering breakfast, this waffle taco didn't quite measure up.
Although Taco Bell didn't explain why they thought sales were lower than expected, one can guess that people may prefer an easier meal to eat when they are still half asleep. It might be that savory eggs mixed with overly sweet syrup didn't quite hit the spot for many people. Whatever the reasoning for people hesitating to order the waffle taco, within a year after its debut in 2014 at restaurants across the country, Taco Bell pulled this messy item from the breakfast menu (via Business Insider).