Taco Bell Launches 4-Item Decades Menu as Sales Recover From Nearly 30% Cyclospora Hit
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24
Taco Bell Launches 4-Item Decades Menu as Sales Recover From Nearly 30% Cyclospora Hit
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 24
Summary
Same-store sales were down low single digits on the Decades Menu’s first day, a marked improvement after Taco Bell’s year-over-year decline briefly neared 30% following the cyclospora scare.
Evercore expects about 2 percentage points of weekly improvement through quarter-end, with management treating the slump as temporary and leaning on value offers to rebuild traffic.
The outbreak hit after a strong start to the quarter—sales had been up 8% to 9% before July 16, but quarter-to-date sales were down 2% through July 27 after ingredient removals at select stores.
The recovery plan pairs extended $3 burritos, new $2 chicken burritos and $5, $7 and $9 value boxes with nostalgia and pop-culture promotions, while digital offers have driven some of Taco Bell’s strongest recent response rates.