# Dollar Cravings

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{{Short description|Value menu of restaurant chain Taco Bell}}
[[File:Dollar Cravings.jpg|thumb|right|Menu items displayed from this [Taco Bell](/source/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](/source/value_menu) of American [fast-food restaurant](/source/fast-food_restaurant) [Taco Bell](/source/Taco_Bell). Dollar Cravings was launched August 18, 2014 in reaction to the new [McDonald's](/source/McDonald's) and [Wendy's](/source/Wendy's) value/[dollar](/source/United_States_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](/source/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](/source/Time_(magazine))|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](/source/Bloomberg_L.P.)|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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Fortune_(magazine))|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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/southern_California), [Kansas City](/source/Kansas_City), and [Sacramento](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Time_(magazine))'' pointed out the increase in price from 99[¢](/source/Cent_(currency)) 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](/source/The_Week)|date=18 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> Television channel [CNBC](/source/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 craving](/source/food_craving)s: "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;" | [Calorie](/source/Calorie)s<ref name="Taco Bell">{{cite web|author=|url=https://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/information|title=Menu Calories and Nutrition Information|publisher=[Taco Bell](/source/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](/source/Nation's_Restaurant_News)|date=15 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> || A [burrito](/source/burrito) with [ground beef](/source/ground_beef),  [rice](/source/rice), [nacho cheese](/source/Nachos) sauce, and [Fritos](/source/Fritos) [corn chips](/source/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](/source/jalape%C3%B1o) 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](/source/wrap_(sandwich)) 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 roll](/source/cinnamon_roll)s covered in [cinnamon](/source/cinnamon) and [sugar](/source/sugar), while filled with [cream cheese](/source/cream_cheese) [frosting](/source/Icing_(food)). || 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](/source/Poultry), 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](/source/Taco) with [potato](/source/potato), [lettuce](/source/lettuce), chipotle sauce, and shredded [Cheddar cheese](/source/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](/source/tostada_(tortilla)) with [beans](/source/beans), [red sauce](/source/Salsa_(sauce)), chipotle sauce, lettuce, shredded Cheddar cheese, and [tomato](/source/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](/source/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](/source/mobile_application) [Snapchat](/source/Snapchat) with the [target demographic](/source/target_demographic) being [millennials](/source/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](/source/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](/source/The_A.V._Club)|date=29 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-29}}</ref> However, ''[The Consumerist](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/The_Consumerist)|date=22 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> ''[E!](/source/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!](/source/E!)|date=5 January 2016|accessdate=2016-01-05}}</ref> Newspaper ''[Investor's Business Daily](/source/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](/source/Investor's_Business_Daily)|date=20 August 2014|accessdate=2014-08-25}}</ref> ''[Thrillist Media Group](/source/Thrillist_Media_Group)''{{'}}s Lee Breslouer had [cannabis](/source/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](/source/Thrillist_Media_Group)|accessdate=2015-09-01|date=1 October 2014}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[Burger Wars](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dollar Cravings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_Cravings) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_Cravings?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.