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FinanceTaco Bell Offers $1 Enchiritos After Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Lettuce
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Taco Bell announced a one-day promotion selling Enchiritos for $1 on Friday, aiming to mitigate fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. The FDA reported at least 1,644 cyclosporiasis cases across five Midwestern states between May 13 and July 13. Foot traffic at Taco Bell fell, and Yum! Brands' stock dropped from $167 to $147 following the FDA announcement. CEO Sean Tresvant thanked loyal customers and pledged safety transparency. Taylor Farms faced criticism for its outbreak communication. The Enchirito, a lettuce-free menu item, was chosen for the promotion.
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Get your one-dollar bills ready. Taco Bell is rolling out a $1 menu item in an effort to help customers move past the recent cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce.
On Wednesday, the fast food giant announced plans to sell Enchiritos for $1 on Friday. The offer will be available while supplies last at participating locations, via its app, or website between 8 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. PT.
Enchiritos typically cost between $3.99 and $4.29, depending on location. The item is a cross between an enchilada and a burrito — and crucially, it is lettuce-free.
"For the ones who've been riding with us $1 Enchiritos just dropped," read a TikTok video promoting the deal.
Background on the Outbreak
The campaign comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on July 16 that shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia was linked to at least 1,644 cyclosporiasis cases between May 13 and July 13. The Cyclospora parasite causes the illness.
According to location intelligence firm Placer.ai, foot traffic at Taco Bell and other restaurants where lettuce is a staple menu item fell as news of the outbreak spread.
The stock price of Yum! Brands Inc., which owns Taco Bell, fell from a five-month high of $167 on July 7 to $147 on July 17, the day after the FDA's announcement.
Company Response
On Tuesday, Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant shared a LinkedIn post thanking fans, whom he said supported the company during the outbreak.
"The community that said, 'we've got you.' The fans who said they 'can't quit us.' We appreciate every bit of that energy. Thank you," he wrote.
Tresvant said that moving forward, the company would put safety first and continue to be transparent about "what we know and what we are doing next."
Supplier Criticism
Taylor Farms, Taco Bell's lettuce supplier, has faced criticism over how it communicated information about the outbreak to the public. In a statement on Monday, Taylor Farms said there had been "significant confusion over outbreak communication" and broke down the facts of the outbreak.
PR veterans told Business Insider's Sarah E. Needleman and Tim Paradis that prior to Taylor Farms' statement, its approach to the outbreak muddied an already confusing situation. Taylor Farms did not respond to a request for comment from Needleman and Paradis.
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Taco Bell Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Lettuce