April 18 (UPI) — After months of rumors and campaigns for its return, Taco Bell confirmed Monday that Mexican Pizza will return to its menu next month.
The fan favorite will be back on May 19, the company said in a statement, and loyalty program members can order it through the mobile app up to two days in advance of its wider release at participating locations under certain conditions while supplies last.
“Our menu is full of fan-favorites, but the Mexican Pizza is at the top of that list,” Taco Bell CEO Mark King said in the statement. “From its flashy introduction to menus in 1985 as ‘Pizzazz Pizza’ to its inspiration behind the creation of infamous jingles, Mexican Pizza has a long history with the brand, and I’m glad we could give fans what they crave and bring our classic Mexican Pizza back home where it belongs.”
Taco Bell dropped the dish in November 2020, and several other items before that, as part of a broader effort to shed complexities and costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The return of Mexican Pizza follows fan demand for its return, including rapper Doja Cat, who celebrated the announcement of its return in a video clip attached to a Twitter post.
Another Mexican Pizza fan, Krish Jagirdar, spearheaded a Change.org petition to bring the item back to the Taco Bell menu.
“Like many Indian-Americans who grew up vegetarian, we had limited access to the ‘fun’ fast food, so Taco Bell became a bridge to belonging in American culture for many kids like me who grew up in immigrant households,” Jagirdar said in the statement released by the company.
“That’s what made it especially devastating when the Mexican Pizza was pulled from menus in 2020, but fast forward two years later, and I found myself on a conference call with the Taco Bell team as they shared news of the return of Mexican Pizza, showing that listening to their fans is clearly embedded in their DNA. It’s one of the many reasons Taco Bell is more than just another fast-food restaurant.”
The dish made from two crispy flour shells, layered with beans, pizza sauce, seasoned beef, tomatoes and melted three cheese blend will be available for $4.49, according to the company, and will also be available for the same price without seasoned beef for vegetarians.
