Taco Bell is bringing back a fan favorite, Mexican Pizza

The favorite will permanently reappear on menus starting May 19, the chain confirmed on Monday. Taco Bell eliminated pizza in November 2020 as part of a broader selection of its menus during the height of the pandemic, helping fast food chains reduce complexity and cost.

Mexican pizza consists of a tortilla crust filled with beans or ground beef, pizza sauce and topped with another tortilla crust topped with extra sauce, cheese, and chopped tomatoes. Taco Bell introduced this in 1985 and originally called it “Pizzazz Pizza.”

The removal of Mexican Pizza has caused outrage among loyal Taco Bell fans: An online petition demanding the return of pizza has attracted nearly 200,000 signatures. Particularly indignant are Indian-Americans, who view the dish as one of the few “fun” vegetarian options (a version of the dish is available without the spiced beef).

Acknowledging this, Taco Bell invited the creator of the petition, Krish Jagirdar, to celebrate the return of pizza.

“Like many Indian-Americans who grew up vegetarian, we had limited access to ‘exciting’ fast food, so Taco Bell has become a bridge to belonging to American culture for many kids like me, who grew up in immigrant households,” he said in a press release.

Taco Bell also improved the item’s packaging. Previously, the disposal of pizza packaging amounted to more than 7 million pounds of cardboard each year. The brand said in the statement that it has “worked to streamline operations and sourcing of ingredients, while leaving a lighter footprint.”

Mexican Pizza costs $4.49, and members of Taco Bell’s loyalty program can order two days before it’s reintroduced, starting May 17.

Fast food chains must constantly compete for dollars and customer attention, and specialty offerings are one way to try to cut out the fuss. In particular, Taco Bell regularly tests its menu by adding limited-time offers to stimulate customer interest.

This method seems to be working. Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell, said same-store sales rose 8% in the most recent quarter.