Dollar Cravings

{{Short description|Value menu of restaurant chain Taco Bell}} [[File:Dollar Cravings.jpg|thumb|right|Menu items displayed from this Taco Bell purchase (left to right, top to bottom): Triple Layer Nachos, Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla, Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito, and Spicy Potato Soft Taco.]] '''Dollar Cravings''' (or '''$1 Dollar Cravings'''<ref name="Taco Bell Debuts New $1 Dollar Cravings Menu">{{cite web|author=Angel Chang|url=http://firstwefeast.com/eat/taco-bell-debuts-new-1-dollar-cravings-menu/|title=Taco Bell Debuts New "$1 Dollar Cravings Menu"|publisher=First We Feast|date=18 August 2014|accessdate=2015-06-15}}</ref><ref name="News: Taco Bell's $1 Cravings Menu Test Update">{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.brandeating.com/2013/05/news-taco-bell-1-dollar-cravings-menu-test-update.html|title=News: Taco Bell's $1 Cravings Menu Test Update|publisher=Brand Eating|date=13 May 2013|accessdate=2015-06-15}}</ref>) is the value menu of American fast-food restaurant Taco Bell. Dollar Cravings was launched August 18, 2014 in reaction to the new McDonald's and Wendy's value/dollar menus.<ref name="Taco Bell is latest chain to offer a dollar menu - LA Times">{{cite web|author=Brianna Sacks|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-taco-bell-dollar-menu-20140818-story.html|title=Taco Bell is latest chain to offer a dollar menu - LA Times|work=Los Angeles Times|date=18 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref name="Taco Bell Breathes New Life Into Fast-Food Dollar Menus - Money.com">{{cite web|author=Brad Tuttle|url=http://time.com/money/3136243/taco-bell-dollar-menu/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818184104/http://time.com/money/3136243/taco-bell-dollar-menu/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 18, 2014|title=Taco Bell Breathes New Life Into Fast-Food Dollar Menus - Money.com|publisher=Time|date=18 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref name="Taco Bell to Introduce Dollar Menu Nationwide - Bloomberg">{{cite web|author=Leslie Patton|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-15/taco-bell-to-introduce-dollar-menu-nationwide.html|title=Taco Bell to Introduce Dollar Menu Nationwide - Bloomberg|publisher=Bloomberg|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref name="Taco Bell Dollar Menu New - Business Insider">{{cite web|author=Ashley Lutz|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/taco-bell-dollar-menu-new-2014-8|title=Taco Bell Dollar Menu New - Business Insider|publisher=Business Insider|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> The current menu contains 13 food items.<ref name="Taco Bell is latest chain to offer a dollar menu - LA Times"/><ref name="Taco Bell Breathes New Life Into Fast-Food Dollar Menus - Money.com"/><ref name="In brief: Gore accuses Al-Jazeera of fraud - Houston Chronicle">{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/In-brief-Gore-accuses-Al-Jazeera-of-fraud-5692397.php|title=In brief: Gore accuses Al-Jazeera of fraud - Houston Chronicle|publisher=Houston Chronicle|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> Dollar Cravings replaced Taco Bell's previous value menu Why Pay More.<ref name="Taco Bell to Introduce Dollar Menu Nationwide - Bloomberg"/><ref name="Taco Bell Dollar Menu New - Business Insider"/><ref name="These restaurant items cost only $1">{{cite web|author=Katie Little|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/22/these-restaurant-items-cost-only-1.html|title=These restaurant items cost only $1|publisher=CNBC|date=23 August 2014|access-date=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref name="Taco Bell's Dollar Cravings Menu Fuels Fast-Food Pricing War - Analyst Blog">{{cite web|author=Zacks Equity Research|url=http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/personal+finance/taco-bell-s-dollar-cravings-menu-fuels-fast-food-pricing-war-analyst-blog/article/398227|title=Taco Bell's Dollar Cravings Menu Fuels Fast-Food Pricing War - Analyst Blog|publisher=Digital Journal|date=20 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref name="Will new Taco Bell dollar deals chew up competition? - America's Markets">{{cite web|author=Bruce Horovitz|url=http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2014/08/15/will-new-taco-bell-dollar-deals-chew-up-competition/|title=Will new Taco Bell dollar deals chew up competition? - America's Markets|publisher=USA Today|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826120221/http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2014/08/15/will-new-taco-bell-dollar-deals-chew-up-competition/|archivedate=26 August 2014}}</ref> A Taco Bell spokesperson said few of the food items from the Why Pay More menu will remain in Dollar Cravings.<ref name="Taco Bell Takes $1 Cravings Menu National - News - Advertising Age">{{cite web|author=Maureen Morrison|url=http://adage.com/article/news/taco-bell-takes-1-cravings-menu-national/294612/|title=Taco Bell Takes $1 Cravings Menu National - News - Advertising Age|publisher=Advertising Age|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref>

On March 10, 2016, Taco Bell introduced a breakfast value menu.<ref name="Taco Bell Has Joined the Breakfast Wars With a $1 Menu">{{cite web|author=Lucinda Shen|url=http://fortune.com/2016/03/10/taco-bell-dollar-breakfast/|title=Taco Bell Has Joined the Breakfast Wars With a $1 Menu|publisher=Fortune|date=10 March 2016|accessdate=2016-04-11}}</ref><ref name="Hadley Malcolm">{{cite web|author=Hadley Malcolm|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/03/10/tace-bell-announced-1-breakfast-menu/81574282/|title=Taco Bell's $1 menu heats up breakfast battle|publisher=USA Today|date=10 March 2016|accessdate=2016-04-11}}</ref><ref name="Taco Bell is about to get cheaper">{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/taco-bell-launches-new-breakfast-menu-2016-3|title=Taco Bell is about to get cheaper|publisher=Business Insider|date=10 March 2016|accessdate=2016-04-11}}</ref>

== History == On 26 December 2012, fast food culture site ''Brand Eating'' reported Taco Bell planned to replace their value menu Why Pay More with Dollar Cravings.<ref name="News: Taco Bell Tests New $1 Cravings Menu">{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.brandeating.com/2012/12/news-taco-bell-tests-new-1-dollar-cravings-menu.html|title=News: Taco Bell Tests New $1 Cravings Menu|publisher=Brand Eating|date=26 December 2012|accessdate=2015-06-15}}</ref> ''Brand Eating'' speculated Dollar Cravings was "probably a response to rising food and labor costs."<ref name="News: Taco Bell Tests New $1 Cravings Menu"/> The value menu was tested in select locations in southern California, Kansas City, and Sacramento.<ref name="News: Taco Bell's $1 Cravings Menu Test Update"/><ref name="Taco Bell '$1 Cravings' Value Menu To Likely Go National">{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/taco-bell-1-cravings_n_3203491.html|title=Taco Bell '$1 Cravings' Value Menu To Likely Go National|work=The Huffington Post|date=2 May 2013|accessdate=2015-06-15}}</ref>

== Cost == The pricing of the Dollar Cravings food items was largely determined by the competition from other fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and Wendy's.<ref name="Taco Bell is latest chain to offer a dollar menu - LA Times"/><ref name="Taco Bell Breathes New Life Into Fast-Food Dollar Menus - Money.com"/> Magazine ''Time'' pointed out the increase in price from 99¢ to a dollar.<ref name="Taco Bell Breathes New Life Into Fast-Food Dollar Menus - Money.com"/><ref name="Taco Bell releases new dollar menu - The Week">{{cite web|author=Meghan DeMaria|url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/index/266570/speedreads-taco-bell-releases-new-dollar-menu|title=Taco Bell releases new dollar menu - The Week|publisher=The Week|date=18 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> Television channel CNBC also noted the price increased from the previous value menu Why Pay More which had a three-tiered menu offering food items from 79, 89, or 99 cents.<ref name="These restaurant items cost only $1"/>

== Menu == The menu was divided based on five food cravings: "Beefy", "Cheesy", "Crunchy", "Spicy", and "Sweet".<ref name="News: Taco Bell's $1 Cravings Menu Test Update"/><ref name="News: Taco Bell Tests New $1 Cravings Menu"/>

Food items on the Dollar Cravings menu include: {|class="wikitable" ! width=15% style="background:lightgray;" | Name ! width=20% style="background:lightgray;" | Description ! width=5% style="background:lightgray;" | Calories<ref name="Taco Bell">{{cite web|author=|url=https://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/information|title=Menu Calories and Nutrition Information|publisher=Taco Bell|date=|accessdate=2015-06-15}}</ref> ! width=10% style="background:lightgray;" | Price |- | Beefy Fritos Burrito!<ref name="Will new Taco Bell dollar deals chew up competition? - America's Markets"/><ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News">{{cite web|author=Bret Thorn|url=http://nrn.com/food-trends/taco-bell-launch-dollar-cravings-menu|title=Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News|publisher=Nation's Restaurant News|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> || A burrito with ground beef, rice, nacho cheese sauce, and Fritos corn chips. || 430 || $1+tax |- | Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito<ref name="Will new Taco Bell dollar deals chew up competition? - America's Markets"/><ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || A burrito with a little cilantro, rice, beans, nacho cheese, and jalapeño sauce. || 410 || $1+tax |- | Cheesy Roll Up<ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || A sandwich wrap of three melted cheeses. || 180 || $1+tax |- | Cinnabon Delights<ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || Two cinnamon rolls covered in cinnamon and sugar, while filled with cream cheese frosting. || 160 || $1+tax |- | Cinnamon Twists<ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || Corn twists with cinnamon and sugar. || 170 || $1+tax |- | Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla<ref name="Will new Taco Bell dollar deals chew up competition? - America's Markets"/><ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || A quesadilla with shredded chicken, shredded cheese, and chipotle sauce. || 180 || $1+tax |- | Spicy Potato Soft Taco<ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || A soft-shell taco with potato, lettuce, chipotle sauce, and shredded Cheddar cheese. || 240 || $1+tax |- | Spicy Tostada<ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || A tostada with beans, red sauce, chipotle sauce, lettuce, shredded Cheddar cheese, and tomato. || 210 || $1+tax |- | Triple Layer Nachos<ref name="Will new Taco Bell dollar deals chew up competition? - America's Markets"/><ref name="Taco Bell to launch Dollar Cravings menu - Food Trends content from Nation's Restaurant News"/> || Nachos fried and covered with beans, red sauce, and nacho cheese. || 320 || $1+tax |}

== Promotion == On August 15, 2014, the new menu was advertised via the mobile application Snapchat with the target demographic being millennials.<ref name="Taco Bell is latest chain to offer a dollar menu - LA Times"/><ref name="Taco Bell's Dollar Cravings Menu Fuels Fast-Food Pricing War - Analyst Blog"/>

=== Everlasting Dollars === On August 26, 2014, Taco Bell announced the new contest "Everlasting Dollars" in which 11 participants in 11 American cities could win a lifetime of Taco Bell food.<ref name="Lifetime Of Food">{{cite web|author=Mary Beth Quirk|url=http://consumerist.com/2014/08/27/taco-bell-where-a-lifetime-of-food-costs-just-10000/|title=Taco Bell, Where A "Lifetime Of Food" Costs Just $10,000 – Consumerist|publisher=The Consumerist|date=27 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-29}}</ref><ref name="latest taco chicanery">{{cite web|author=Sean O'Neal|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/taco-bells-latest-taco-chicanery-involves-lifetime-208669|title=Taco Bell's latest taco chicanery involves a "lifetime" of free food · Newswire · The A.V. Club|publisher=The A.V. Club|date=29 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-29}}</ref> However, ''The Consumerist'' points out the fine print:

{{quote box |width=25em | bgcolor=#c6dbf7 |align=center |salign=right|quote="*Prize awarded as $10,000 in Taco Bell® gift cards. Based on average consumption ($216 per year) for 46 years. Dollar Cravings Menu™ at participating locations. Prices and Items may vary. Prices exclude tax."|source=Taco Bell<ref name="Lifetime Of Food"/>}}

''The A.V. Club'' proved critical of "Everlasting Dollars" stating "In an unflinchingly honest appraisal, Taco Bell caps a 'lifetime' of eating its food at just 46 years. And in that time, you'll be awarded only $10,000 in gift cards—and this doled out at just $216 per year. While obviously the most humane solution, giving contestants just over $4 to spend on Taco Bell per week is hardly the 'lifetime' of eating Taco Bell you might have imagined. It is as though Taco Bell has promised you a delicious, fulfilling prize, only to totally cheap out on what's inside."<ref name="latest taco chicanery"/>

== Reception ==

=== Commercial === A writer for ''Seeking Alpha'' said that the new menu "could improve same store sales and once again increase the overall value of owning a Taco Bell chain."<ref name="Yum Brands Needs Taco Bell's Strength To Outshine China Food Worries - YUM! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) - Seeking Alpha">{{cite web|author=Chris Katje|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/2436065-yum-brands-needs-taco-bells-strength-to-outshine-china-food-worries|title=Yum Brands Needs Taco Bell's Strength To Outshine China Food Worries - YUM! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM) - Seeking Alpha|publisher=Seeking Alpha|date=19 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> Canadian Internet news service ''Digital Journal'' considered the new menu "a strategy to attract the youth, who had cut down quick-service restaurant visits in the past few years due to low-disposable income amid the sluggishly recovering economy."<ref name="Taco Bell's Dollar Cravings Menu Fuels Fast-Food Pricing War - Analyst Blog"/>

=== Food === ''AdWeek''{{'}}s David Griner tried every food item on the menu. On the subject of the Cheesy Roll-Up, Griner called it "the toast sandwich of Taco Bell cuisine."<ref name="I Ate Taco Bell's Entire New Dollar Menu in One Sitting, and Here's What I Learned - Adweek">{{cite web|author=David Griner|url=http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/i-ate-taco-bells-entire-new-dollar-menu-one-sitting-and-heres-what-i-learned-159645|title=I Ate Taco Bell's Entire New Dollar Menu in One Sitting, and Here's What I Learned - Adweek|publisher=Adweek|date=21 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref><ref name="5 Best Lines From Review Of Entire Taco Bell Dollar Menu – Consumerist">{{cite web|author=Chris Morran|url=http://consumerist.com/2014/08/22/5-best-lines-from-review-of-entire-taco-bell-dollar-menu/|title=5 Best Lines From Review Of Entire Taco Bell Dollar Menu – Consumerist|publisher=The Consumerist|date=22 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> ''E!''{{'}}s Julia Hays reviewed the menu favorably stating "[w]e'll take as many Triple Layer Nachos as we can carry."<ref name="E!">{{cite web|author=Julia Hays|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/728229/pizza-hut-del-taco-more-super-cheap-fast-food-menus|title=Pizza Hut, Del Taco & More Super-Cheap Fast Food Menus|publisher=E!|date=5 January 2016|accessdate=2016-01-05}}</ref> Newspaper ''Investor's Business Daily'' described Dollar Cravings as "cheese-and-carb-heavy."<ref name="How To Be A Fast-Food Pearl In A Chipotle World YUM MCD CMG BKW - Investors.com">{{cite web|author=Elaine Low|url=http://news.investors.com/business/082014-714036-fast-food-pearl-in-chipotle-world.htm|title=How To Be A Fast-Food Pearl In A Chipotle World YUM MCD CMG BKW - Investors.com|publisher=Investor's Business Daily|date=20 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> ''Thrillist Media Group''{{'}}s Lee Breslouer had cannabis enthusiast "Jim" try every item on the menu. His ranking placed the items in the order of Triple Layer Nachos, Spicy Tostada, Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla, Cheese Roll-Up, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, Beefy Mini Quesadilla, Caramel Apple Empanada, Cinnamon Twists, Beefy Fritos Burrito, and Cinnabon Delights.<ref name="thrillist">{{cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/taco-bell-dollar-menu-taste-test|first=Lee|last=Breslouer|title=A Cannabis Enthusiast Ranks Everything on Taco Bell's $1 Menu|work=Thrillist|publisher=Thrillist Media Group|accessdate=2015-09-01|date=1 October 2014}}</ref>

== See also == *Burger Wars

== References == {{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Taco Bell products}} *{{officialsite|https://www.tacobell.com/food/dollar-cravings}}

Category:Restaurant menus Category:Taco Bell Category:American fast food