Taco Bell, a well-known chain restaurant in the United States, has introduced a $1 lettuce-free Mexican burrito in an effort to regain customers lost during the recent parasite outbreak. The move comes after health authorities linked Cyclospora infections with shredded lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and sold at Taco Bell stores in multiple states, causing a significant drop in foot traffic at the fast-food establishment. Cyclospora infection can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea.
Following the news of the contamination, consumer trust in Taco Bell plummeted. A survey conducted by research firm Morning Consult showed an increase in the percentage of customers who stated they either “somewhat distrust” or “completely distrust” the brand.
To combat the lettuce crisis, the Mexican-inspired chain restaurant is actively using social media and advertisements to win back customers. As part of their strategy to entice customers to return, Taco Bell has slashed the price of their Enchiritos from $4.29 to just $1, with regular-sized fries also offered at the same price. The company’s website states that this price drop is aimed at expressing gratitude towards their customers.
Regaining customer trust is crucial for Taco Bell, which has been the top-performing chain restaurant under its parent company Yum! Brands Inc. for years. Since July 10th, Yum! Brands’ stock has dropped over 9%, a period when the authorities had not yet officially linked Taco Bell to the outbreak.
Taco Bell has taken swift action by removing all contaminated lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from its stores, with some restaurants even taking action before being alerted by public health authorities. This week, Taco Bell’s CEO Sean Tresvant directly addressed customers via LinkedIn, pledging transparency regarding the known information and future steps.
“We don’t take customer loyalty for granted,” he said, emphasizing that it must be earned “meal by meal.” Taylor Farms has issued a recall on products that were distributed to 27 states. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated on Sunday that while a previous test result for non-recalled products was a false positive, there is “substantial epidemiological data to support Taylor Farms’ voluntary recall this time.”