- Taco Bell is reviving popular 2016 menu items like Naked Chicken Chalupa and Beefy Crunch Burrito.
- The brand is also collaborating with mid-2010s brands to create nostalgic experiences and offerings.
- Taco Bell aims to reconnect fans with the flavors and feelings they loved from 2016 and earlier eras.
2016 is soooo back…at least, as far as Taco Bell is concerned.
A decade after the mid-2010s era gave us some of the internet’s most unforgettable moments, Taco Bell is bringing back a few of its own icons.
Beginning Aug. 20, Taco Bell’s third chapter of its Decades Menu will transport fans straight back to 2016 with four fan-favorite menu items: the Naked Chicken Chalupa, Beefy Crunch Burrito, Meximelt® and Caramel Apple Empanada.
The limited-time lineup is part throwback, part comfort food and very much a reminder of what fans loved about Taco Bell back in the day.
The 2016 Taco Bell Favorites Are Back
Leading the comeback is the Naked Chicken Chalupa, which originally tested in Kansas City in 2016. The wildly memorable item swaps the traditional chalupa shell for a crispy chicken shell made with all-white-meat chicken marinated in Mexican-inspired spices.
It comes loaded with cheddar cheese, lettuce, diced tomatoes and creamy Avocado Ranch Sauce. The Naked Chicken Chalupa will be available for $5.99, or as part of the $9 Discovery Luxe Box, which also includes a Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, Crunchy Taco, Chips & Nacho Cheese Sauce and a medium fountain drink.
Also returning is the Beefy Crunch Burrito, a cult favorite that has inspired plenty of fan campaigns over the years. The $2.79 burrito combines seasoned beef, Flamin’ Hot Fritos®, seasoned rice, reduced-fat sour cream and nacho cheese sauce. Taco Bell Rewards Members can get their hands on it early before the full menu drops nationwide.
The Meximelt® is also making its way back for $2.99. The classic features seasoned beef, freshly prepared pico de gallo and a warm three-cheese blend wrapped in a soft flour tortilla.
And for anyone who remembers Taco Bell’s sweet treats, the Caramel Apple Empanada is returning for $2.99. The dessert pairs warm apple pieces and caramel inside a crispy golden pastry — exactly the kind of nostalgic bite fans have been asking to see again.
“For decades, Taco Bell has been woven into the lives of our fans, and there’s something special about revisiting the moments and experiences that made 2016 distinctly memorable,” Luis Restrepo, chief marketing officer of Taco Bell North America, said in a statement. “Whether you remember 2016 or another era of Taco Bell, the Decades Menu is about reconnecting with the flavor and feelings that fans loved the first time around, while giving a new generation the chance to discover it for themselves.”
Taco Bell Is Leaning All the Way Into Nostalgia
The throwback doesn’t stop at the food.
Taco Bell is teaming up with brands that embody the mid-2010s, including Divine, Camp Snap and Anti-Social Social Club, for collaborations and experiences inspired by the era.
On Aug. 25, Taco Bell Rewards Members will get access to a limited-edition #TBTB Starter Pack featuring collaborations with streetwear brand Anti-Social Social Club and screen-free digital camera company Camp Snap.
The brand is also launching an in-app scavenger hunt-style game that will give users the chance to unlock exclusive offers throughout a three-week period. New offers will drop weekly between Aug. 25 and Sept. 14.
Meanwhile, Taco Bell is bringing fans back to the days of six-second videos through a collaboration with Divine, an AI-free looping video app inspired by Vine. Fans can use the code TACO-BELL for early access to the app and its collection of more than 2.5 million Vine classics.
“This is much more than a collaboration about nostalgia,” Alice Chan, CMO of Divine, said. “It sets the standard for how we want brands to show up in Divine – in ways that are joyful, creative and a natural extension of the community, not an interruption to it.”
With its latest Decades Menu, Taco Bell is betting that 2016 nostalgia hits just as hard as a Beefy Crunch Burrito after a long day. And judging by how often fans have asked for these menu favorites to return, the throwback lineup may be exactly what they’ve been craving.
The Decades #TBTB menu launches nationwide Aug. 20 for a limited time.
