Taco Bell introduces new “waffle” breakfast taco

Published March 3, 2014 at 6:40 am

Have you ever been in the unenviable position of wanting Taco Bell and breakfast at the same time?

In the past, you’d be forced to choose between two distinct worlds. Next month, you won’t have to make that distinction, as the Mexican-style eatery is rolling out a special breakfast menu at all 5,500 of its locations.

This initiative represents the biggest menu expansion in company history.

One of the highest buzz items is the waffle taco, a clever play on the restaurant’s more traditional fare. This dish features a waffle in the shape of the eatery’s eponymous Mexican treat, then filled with eggs and sausage and served next to a side of syrup. The chain will also feature Cinnabon bites, a breakfast burrito and, of course, coffee.

Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt described the company’s coffee goals modestly.

“We are not trying to compete with [other chains with coffee] right out of the gate,” said Mr Brandt. “We believe we’ll differentiate on the food upfront, and as it develops we can add specialty coffee drinks.”

Taco Bell’s artery-clogging foray into the world of fast food breakfast holds a salient lesson for marketers. It’s important to be aggressive about expanding your brand and taking advantage of new opportunities. If you’re not constantly looking for ways to try different things, you’re putting yourself in danger of stagnation. At the same time, however, it’s crucial not to abandon everything that people know about you: brand continuity is an important part of continued success.

By creating a new dish that features some of their signature flair, Taco Bell managed to nail both parts of this equation. All that’s left is to see whether people are willing to chow down on it.