Taco Bell Waffle Taco: The 460 Calorie Breakfast Is Coming To Your Town

The Taco Bell waffle taco is coming to your town by sometime next year.This particular taco includes scrambled eggs, sausage and a side of syrup, and was the top seller during breakfast hours at the five Southern California restaurants where it was tested earlier this year.

The company is presently doing a slow roll-out in 100 restaurants in Fresno, Omaha, and Chattanooga, starting Thursday. If the experiment is successful, it will be extended to all 6,000 branches.

Brian Niccol, president of Taco Bell, said the idea is to judge how well his outlets can handle the added operational pressure from the waffle tacos, “You only get one shot when you go with big items,” he said.

Restaurant chains have to pay fixed costs, such as rent and electricity; the thinking is that they want to ring up as many sales as possible throughout the day, not only during the busy hours. Fast food industry executives often refer to this concept as “expanding dayparts.”

For example, McDonald’s has been testing an “After Midnight” menu that mixes breakfast and lunch items. Taco Bell has also been trying to attract customers in the late afternoon, when business tends to be slower, by promoting a “Happier Hour” with snacks and drinks.

Richard Carucci, president of Yum Brands Inc.- the parent company of Taco Bell – said that breakfast accounts for about 4 percent of sales in restaurants where it’s available, and that he clearly sees breakfast as its next big opportunity.

The tacos have undergone some changes since they were introduced in March; the shape has been altered to better hold the contents.The filled taco has 460 calories and 30 grams of fat. Does that mean that Taco Bell waffle tacos qualify as a healthy breakfast?

Photo credit: mrbreakfast.com