{"id":170,"date":"2023-02-24T20:24:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T21:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/?p=170"},"modified":"2024-09-02T15:26:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-02T15:26:43","slug":"why-is-taco-bell-so-expensive-10-reasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/2023\/02\/24\/why-is-taco-bell-so-expensive-10-reasons\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Taco Bell So Expensive? (10 Reasons)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Taco<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When you’re hankering for something Mexican or Mexican-related, then you might head to your local Taco Bell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell has everything from salads to meat-stuffed burritos.<\/p>\n

It’s rare that you\u2019ll ever walk away from Taco Bell still feeling hungry.<\/p>\n

However, you also tend to have to pay high prices at Taco Bell despite it being a fast-food restaurant.<\/p>\n

You may wonder why the items at Taco Bell are so expensive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why Is Taco Bell So Expensive? (10 Reasons)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Taco<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The average price of a menu item at Taco Bell is anywhere from $1.50 to $6.00.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because of its higher labor costs, its operational costs, certain stressors on food increasing food costs, and limited-time menu items.<\/p>\n

Let’s look at these factors in more detail.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Higher Labor Costs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Labor<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of the reasons Taco Bell has become more expensive is that they’ve taken on more costs.<\/p>\n

In particular, in an effort to hold onto good workers and attract new workers to join their restaurants, they’ve increased their labor wages.<\/p>\n

Some Taco Bell locations have raised their wages significantly while others have kept close to the original amount.<\/p>\n

Since employees are earning more, Taco Bell has had to adjust its prices to make up for those costs.<\/p>\n

While there are different ways that a company can handle increased costs, Taco Bell chose to raise its prices.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason labor wages have increased is because of the increase in the cost of living in certain parts of the country.<\/p>\n

It’s becoming more expensive to buy food or even to travel to work.<\/p>\n

As such, workers need more money or else they’re going to have to leave the area to find a more affordable place to live.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because the cost of labor is a bit higher in some parts of the country.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. High Franchise Fees<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Westfield<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Taco Bell is a franchise.<\/p>\n

While a larger company owns Taco Bell, each restaurant is essentially owned by an independent person.<\/p>\n

They contact Taco Bell to discuss opening up a restaurant in their area.<\/p>\n

Representatives will take a look at the market, then either agree to open up a franchise in the area or deny the application.<\/p>\n

As a franchise, the individual owner usually has to spend a good portion of their own money to get the store up and running.<\/p>\n

They may need to take on business loans to do so.<\/p>\n

The franchisee also needs to pay certain fees to the overarching company.<\/p>\n

This gives the franchisee the right to use the company’s logo, menu, and other benefits.<\/p>\n

The problem with franchise fees is that they can be quite high.<\/p>\n

In some restaurants, the fees combined with the rest of the operational costs may even be so high that the owner doesn’t make much of a profit.<\/p>\n

If Taco Bell notices that certain franchises are struggling to pay their fees, then it will allow franchises in certain areas to make their prices higher than others.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell relies on the fees from the franchises to earn a profit.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because of the high franchise fees.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. Limited-Time Menu Items<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like many other restaurants, there are times when Taco Bell will debut a new menu item for a limited time.<\/p>\n

It may be a new special taco that they’re testing.<\/p>\n

It may be a special partnership with another company.<\/p>\n

Whatever the item might be, it\u2019s typically a limited release.<\/p>\n

The item is only available for a short period before it’s gone forever.<\/p>\n

You’ll often notice that these items tend to be more expensive than some of the other items that Taco Bell sells.<\/p>\n

That’s because the fact that it’s limited means that it\u2019s also scarce.<\/p>\n

Even if the cooks are able to produce as much of that item as they can through the day, eventually, that item is no longer going to be available.<\/p>\n

Since it will be scarce, Taco Bell can get away with putting a higher price on it.<\/p>\n

The demand for the item is usually high, too.<\/p>\n

Everyone who likes Taco Bell is likely going to want to try the limited item.<\/p>\n

Since demand is high, that also makes the price high.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive when you’re ordering a limited-edition menu item.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Expensive Rental Areas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Taco<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another big problem that makes Taco Bell expensive is high rental costs.<\/p>\n

Some Taco Bell restaurants are more expensive than others because of where they’re located.<\/p>\n

For example, Taco Bell restaurants that are in big cities tend to be more expensive than Taco Bell restaurants that are out in suburban or rural areas.<\/p>\n

One reason city-based Taco Bell restaurants are more expensive is that there’s limited retail space.<\/p>\n

Since there isn’t much room to build new shops and restaurants, landlords charge high rental fees for each space.<\/p>\n

A Taco Bell restaurant that has a prime location in the city is going to have high rental costs.<\/p>\n

To cover those costs, they need to have high prices.<\/p>\n

Another factor is whether the city is a big tourist attraction or not.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell restaurants in New York City might be more expensive than restaurants in cities in the middle of nowhere, for example.<\/p>\n

That’s because tourist locations are normally crowded, so there will be a lot of people visiting that Taco Bell.<\/p>\n

Since the demand is higher for their products, they have high prices.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive when it’s in an area that charges high rent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Corn Prices<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Fresh<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of the key ingredients that Taco Bell uses is corn.<\/p>\n

Whether it’s corn, itself, or corn-produced products like oil, it’s become an expensive vegetable.<\/p>\n

Part of that is due to the problems with the supply chain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell isn’t able to buy as much corn oil or coin as it might like.<\/p>\n

That’s because there are a lot of problems impacting suppliers.<\/p>\n

For one, drought is impacting a lot of cornfields.<\/p>\n

Without enough water, corn is unable to grow.<\/p>\n

It also means farmers are unable to plant new corn seeds for next year.<\/p>\n

Another big factor is the cost of fertilizer.<\/p>\n

Farmers need fertilizer to feed their crops and help them have higher yields.<\/p>\n

Since they’re taking on higher costs to acquire fertilizer, they’re going to sell their corn at higher prices.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell ends up incurring these higher prices.<\/p>\n

Since they’re facing higher prices, they’re going to sell their menu items at higher prices.<\/p>\n

It helps them offset the costs and generate revenue.<\/p>\n

Since Taco Bell is reliant on corn and corn oil, it doesn’t have much of a choice but to pay higher prices.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because the cost of corn and its related products are expensive.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. Sunflower Oil Prices<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Composition<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another high cost that Taco Bell has been dealing with is sunflower oil.<\/p>\n

Sunflower oil is a popular cooking ingredient.<\/p>\n

The problem with it is that it’s also become quite expensive.<\/p>\n

The disruption of the supply chain in Europe is primarily to blame.<\/p>\n

Without a steady supply of sunflowers, and thus sunflower oil, a shortage occurs.<\/p>\n

Since Taco Bell isn’t the only company in need of sunflower oil, the demand is typically higher than the supply.<\/p>\n

As a result, the price of sunflower oil has increased.<\/p>\n

This makes Taco Bell’s operations a bit more expensive.<\/p>\n

To offset the higher costs, they sell their food at higher prices.<\/p>\n

Drought and fertilizer costs are also to blame for the higher prices of sunflowers.<\/p>\n

Drought isn’t something that’s easily fixed.<\/p>\n

It also impacts the current harvest as well as the future harvest of sunflowers.<\/p>\n

As such, these ongoing high prices might remain unchanged for some time.<\/p>\n

To ensure it\u2019s still able to generate a profit, Taco Bell increased its prices.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because of the high cost of sunflowers and sunflower oil.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

7. Dorito Partnership<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Doritos<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of Taco Bell’s biggest claims to fame is its partnership with Doritos.<\/p>\n

Doritos is best known for its cheesy chips that are extremely addictive.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell has taken the beloved cheesy chip and turned it into a shell for some of its tacos.<\/p>\n

The response was positive enough that Taco Bell has continued its partnership with Doritos.<\/p>\n

While that’s great for Taco Bell fans, it also means that the Taco Bell corporation is a bit more expensive to run.<\/p>\n

That sort of partnership rarely comes cheap.<\/p>\n

As a result, Taco Bell likely has to share some of its revenue with Doritos.<\/p>\n

Since they’re not getting the total profits from the partnership, they have to make more money on the food products to generate the income they want to see from it.<\/p>\n

That allows them to pay Doritos’ share of the revenue while still making enough to make a profit for themselves.<\/p>\n

Doritos isn’t the only company that Taco Bell has partnered with in the past.<\/p>\n

They like to experiment with different flavors and menu items from time to time by bringing in other partnerships.<\/p>\n

Those partnerships cost them a bit of money, so the products that come from those partnerships tend to be a bit more expensive.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because of its different partnerships with other companies like Doritos.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

8. Value Menu Costs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Taco<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not unlike McDonald’s, Taco Bell also has its own value menu.<\/p>\n

Its value menu features extremely cheap food that you can order for a few dollars.<\/p>\n

While this is great for customers, it means that Taco Bell may be taking a loss or at least making less money from those orders.<\/p>\n

While these deals help bring customers into their restaurants, they likely don\u2019t generate that much money.<\/p>\n

As such, Taco Bell has to earn its money through the other more expensive menu items.<\/p>\n

Since they need to cover the costs of a discounted menu, they need to have higher prices on other food.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because they have to make up for the low prices of their value menu food by pricing regular menu items higher.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

9. Rewards Program Costs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Rewards<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The value menu isn’t the only way that customers can save a lot of money.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell also has a rewards program.<\/p>\n

After making a certain number of purchases or hitting a certain dollar amount, you’re able to redeem certain rewards.<\/p>\n

Most of those rewards result in free food.<\/p>\n

This is costly for Taco Bell because they aren\u2019t earning money on the food they give away.<\/p>\n

To run a rewards program without bleeding money, Taco Bell must ensure the rest of its menu is expensive enough to cover the costs.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because of the costs of its rewards program.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

10. Sustainable Meat And Eggs<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Eggs\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A final reason Taco Bell is expensive is that it procures its meat and eggs from sustainable sources.<\/p>\n

In an effort to source its meat from more humane suppliers, Taco Bell has started to do business with farmers who don’t use antibiotics<\/a> or other questionable chemicals on their livestock.<\/p>\n

While this means Taco Bell customers can enjoy cleaner food, it also means Taco Bell’s costs are higher.<\/p>\n

Sustainable meat and eggs are more expensive since it usually entails raising livestock with higher costs.<\/p>\n

To offset those costs, Taco Bell has high prices.<\/p>\n

Taco Bell is expensive because of the costs associated with sourcing sustainable meat and eggs.<\/p>\n

The post Why Is Taco Bell So Expensive? (10 Reasons)<\/a> appeared first on The Cold Wire<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  When you’re hankering for something Mexican or Mexican-related, then you might head to your local Taco Bell. Taco Bell has everything from salads to meat-stuffed burritos. It’s rare that you\u2019ll ever walk away from Taco Bell still feeling hungry. However, you also tend to have to pay high prices at Taco Bell despite it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=170"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":212,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/170\/revisions\/212"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/choicehard.me\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}