Taco Bell’s revival of Mexican Pizza was supposed to be like a musical comedy with a happy ending. Now it’s more like a soap opera.
Hit with high customer demand, the Irvine-based fast food giant is running out of Mexican Pizzas two weeks after it restored them to its menu.
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Mexican Pizza might be off the menu for weeks or months, Taco Bell said in a letter to its customers.
“While we’re currently selling out, for now, we’re working diligently with our restaurants and suppliers to get more back in the hands and stomachs of our biggest fans by this fall.”
The statement said demand has been more than seven times what it was the last time Mexican Pizza was available. It was pulled in November 2020, when Taco Bell was shortening its menu to deal with the challenges of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Mexican Pizza had been on the menu since 1985, and its return was supposed to be permanent.
“Our restaurant teams trained weeks for what we knew would be a big return. We just didn’t realize how big. One fan’s order included 180 Mexican Pizzas. A Roseville, Calif. restaurant sold over 1,000 in one day,” the statement said.
Throughout Memorial Day weekend, there were news reports from throughout the county that Mexican Pizza was selling out.
Taco Bell set up a page on its website to answer customers questions, but it currently doesn’t provide the details most customers will be looking for: when and where the Mexican Pizza will return.
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen faced a similar situation in 2019 when it sold out of chicken sandwiches a couple of weeks after launch. They were off the menu from late August until early November.
Taco Bell teased the return of the Mexican Pizza for weeks before its return to app users on May 17 and the general public on May 19.
One of the stunts was the announcement of “Mexican Pizza: The Musical” a TikTok video starring Dolly Parton and Doja Cat that was announced for May 26.
That project is in limbo. Last week Taco Bell tweeted that the premiere has been postponed.
“We hope to reschedule to a later date, complete with the joy and celebratory spirit in which it was originally created.”
The Mexican Pizza FAQ page asks fans to stay tuned for more information on when they can expect to see it.
Information: tacobell.com/faq/mexican-pizza