Taco Bell's Doritos Locos Tacos To Debut Nationwide

Taco Bell will debut its long-awaited Doritos Locos Tacos nationwide on March 8, the company said Thursday.

Developed in partnership with Frito-Lay, the new taco will feature a shell made with nacho-cheese-flavored Doritos and filled with seasoned ground beef, lettuce and Cheddar cheese.

The item will be a permanent menu addition nationwide, after Taco Bell tested it in some markets last year, company officials said.

Taco Bell is counting down on its website the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the product is available.

The chain is promoting the item through Feb. 20 with a Tweet-off.

The fan who retweets news of the new taco the most will win a visit from the Taco Bell truck, which will bring Doritos Locos Tacos ahead of the launch. Tweeters must use the hashtags #DoritosLocosTacos and #Contest. The winner will be announced by Feb. 27.

The new item, which Taco Bell has said intends to "reinvent the taco," has already generated considerable buzz. Company officials say the debut will help reverse lingering sales declines resulting from a consumer lawsuit last year that questioned ingredients in its seasoned beef. The lawsuit was later dropped.

This year, Taco Bell rolled out breakfast to about 750 locations and is testing a new Cantina Bell menu that features higher-quality items developed by celebrity chef Lorena Garcia.

Based in Irvine, Calif., the 5,600-unit Taco Bell chain is a subsidiary of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands Inc.

Contact Lisa Jennings at lisa.jennings@penton.com.
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout