The “explosive diarrhea” outbreak that scared people away from lettuce over the summer is finally over. But for Taco Bell, the traffic problem persists.
The outbreak, tied to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, sickened nearly 20,000 people nationwide beginning in July. Taco Bell pulled lettuce, cilantro-onion mix and pico de gallo early on, but the damage was already done. Traffic fell 18.1% by July 15, then plunged to -30.9% just two days later compared to the chain’s own average from earlier in the year, according to data cited by Restaurant Business.
Taco Bell fought back with deep discounts, $1 Enchiritos normally priced around $4.29, and $1 Mexican Pizzas normally around $5.69. From July 6, when the outbreak first made headlines, through Sept. 11, when the CDC declared it over, Taco Bell’s visits per location still finished down 12.2% year over year, according to data from Placer.ai.
“Chains tied to the cyclospora outbreak, including Taco Bell, saw visits per location fall over the same period,” said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai. Fast-casual rivals like Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Cava generally outperformed the category during that stretch.
Yum! Brands executives remain optimistic. CFO Ranjith Roy said in July that day-over-day sales trends had improved steadily and the chain was “halfway back” to prior-year levels. Speaking again this month, he said the recovery remains on track. “There’s not a victory lap yet,” he said, “but I think we have confidence that the long-term potential for Taco Bell remains unchanged.”