Why Did Taco Bell Discontinue Its Popular Caramel Apple Empanada?

It is quite normal for large fast food chains like McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Wendy's to introduce new menu items and discontinue old ones that weren't selling as well as predicted. However, sometimes when restaurants discontinue popular items, they get some pushback from fans on social media. That's exactly what happened in 2019 when Taco Bell discontinued the popular Caramel Apple Empanada, which the fast food chain had been selling for 15 years. However, if the item was so popular, why did Taco Bell decide to get rid of it?

Even today, nobody is quite sure, and Taco Bell has never given a full explanation. In fact, when asked about the disappearance of the item by Brand Eating, a spokesperson for Taco Bell seemed to know that the item had been a fan favorite and commented that the empanadas "were a big hit but exited menus." The spokesperson did not mention why the decision had been made to pull the sweet empanadas, but instead encouraged fans to try the restaurant's other desserts like the Cinnamon Twists and Cinnabon Delights.

One possible reason behind the discontinuation of the Caramel Apple Empanadas could just be that despite the item's popularity, Taco Bell wanted to make space on the menu to try out new options. Taco Bell likes to change its menu to keep up with customers' ever-changing tastes. In fact, in 2020, the chain restaurant got rid of a whopping 13 menu items. While this number does seem like overkill, getting rid of old items helps make room for fun and exciting new ones for customers to try.

Also, discontinued for now doesn't mean discontinued forever; Taco Bell is sometimes willing to bring back discontinued items if customers ask for them. For example, just this year, Taco Bell not only rolled out the new fully vegan Crunchwrap and Grilled Cheese Dipping Tacos, but the company also brought back the fan-favorite Nacho Fries. Is it possible that the Caramel Apple Empanada will make a comeback sometime in the future?

While it used to seem like the Caramel Apple Empanada wasn't making a comeback, a Twitter exchange earlier this year between Taco Bell and T-Mobile has left fans wondering. All this started when Taco Bell asked on Twitter which discontinued items customers wanted to see return to the menu and T-Mobile responded, "Miss the caramel apple empanada."

At first glance, it might not seem like T-Mobile responding to Taco Bell is a big deal. However, it could be possible that the cell service company has some insider information. In fact, Taco Bell and T-Mobile have worked together in promotional partnerships before, like when T-Mobile offered its customers free tacos from Taco Bell on Tuesdays, or when the two companies even opened a few brick-and-mortar stores together.

In theory, it's possible that Taco Bell and T-Mobile are planning a future collaboration with the return of the Caramel Apple Empanada, but nothing has been officially announced as of writing. We will just have to wait and see.