The Best Idea Yet 🌮 Doritos Locos Tacos: The Cheesy Mashup That Saved Taco Bell | 21
Mar 4, 2025
Taco Bell faced a major identity crisis, leading to the bold creation of the Doritos Locos Tacos. Inspired by a mom-and-pop restaurant, Taco Bell’s innovation took two years and 40 prototypes to perfect. The first viral fast food hit harnessed social media buzz and fan excitement for its launch in 2012. Behind-the-scenes challenges included engineering a taco shell that wouldn't break and creating a flavor that captivated America. The success of the DLT transformed Taco Bell’s brand and showcased the power of collaboration and consumer engagement.
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How Taco Bell Started
- Glenn Bell copied hard-shell tacos after watching lines at the Mitla Cafe and learning the recipe from Lucia Rodriguez.
- He pivoted his burger stand into Taco Bell and standardized tacos for mass franchising.
Standardization Scaled The Taco
- Standardization made tacos scalable the same way McDonald's standardized burgers.
- Taco Bell replicated processes so 90% of items shared most ingredients, enabling rapid franchising.
Taco Bell's Midlife Crisis
- By the 2000s Taco Bell hit troubles: fast-casual competition and food-safety scandals dented its image.
- CEO Greg Creed set a 50th-anniversary challenge to reinvent the crunchy taco and revive the brand.
