Papa John's New Dorito Menu Item Has Taco Bell Shaking

What do Papa John's and Taco Bell have in common? At first glance, you might (very reasonably) say "nothing." Papa John's sells pizza, while Taco Bell slings Mexican-American food. Taco Bell is owned by Yum! Brands, while Papa John's is owned by a variety of shareholders. The only thing these two companies may have in common, you'd assume, is that you might order them on a lazy Friday night. But it seems Papa John's is moving into Taco Bell's territory.

On April 26, Papa John's announced that it will bring the "Cool Ranch Papadia" to its menus starting in May. (In case you're wondering just what a "papadia" is to begin with, it's a cross between a flatbread sandwich and Papa John's famous pizza, using flatbreads made from pizza dough and stuffed with meats, cheeses, and vegetables.) The "Cool Ranch Papadia," a limited-time collaboration between Papa John's and PepsiCo, is described as "toasted pizza dough stuffed with chicken, beef, steak (or other fillings of your choice) and topped with Doritos Cool Ranch seasoning." 

And while it's true that flatbreads aren't exactly Taco Bell's focus, the taco chain has products that are similar to Papa John's newest Dorito-dusted dinner option.

Taco Bell's beloved Doritos Locos Tacos feature taco shells made of Doritos chips. First introduce in 2012, the Doritos Locos Tacos have become one of Taco Bell's best-selling menu items to date. So, does Taco Bell have anything to worry about?

Although Papa John's newest Papadia has just been announced, its lineup of other Papadia varieties have proven to be popular. In fact, in 2020, CEO Rob Lynch claimed that the Papadias were responsible for instrumental ticket growth for the company. And adding Cool Ranch Doritos to the mix will only increase their popularity.

While Taco Bell has yet to react to the announcement, it's clear that PepsiCo will be getting a good deal out of the arrangement. Not only does PepsiCo — which owns Frito-Lay, which in turn produces Doritos — supply Taco Bell with the shells for its Doritos Locos Tacos, but it's now supplying Papa John's with Doritos, too. Talk about a cool deal for some cool ranch.