More tasty treats at Taco Bell

Taco – the Mexican dish consisting of a folded corn or flour tortilla with meat and bean fillings and garnished with tomato salsa, chopped onions, and shredded lettuce – may take some skill to eat. You cannot just randomly bite into it as the crunchy tortilla may break, and you could end up with a mess on your hands. So, you plan your attack: tilt your head sideways, and bite carefully.

The skillful taco aficionado will get through several tacos without spilling anything, while those who are careless or too hungry and worry about the possible untidiness may consider having the more manageable soft taco instead.

Other options at Taco Bell are the widely popular stuffed burritos, nachos, quesadillas, or Mexican rice and refried beans that you can eat with a fork. New items in the restaurant’s menu include the Border Bowl, which is tasty Mexican rice topped with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, spring onions, and a tangy jalapeño sauce, and an interesting concoction called the Mexican pizza that is made up of two crisp shells filled with seasoned ground beef, hearty beans, pizza sauce, three kinds of cheese, and topped with dried ripe tomatoes and spring onions.

Worldwide, there are over 289 Taco Bell restaurants operating in Canada, Guam, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador, Europe, Asia, and the Philippines. It is interesting to note that Taco Bell is the largest restaurant consumer of whole iceberg lettuce in the US and in an average year, franchise and company restaurants consume 3.2 billion corn and flour tortillas, 107 million pounds of fresh lettuce, 60 million pounds of pinto beans, 260 million pounds of ground beans, and 104 million pounds of cheese.

Undoubtedly, Filipinos have acquired a taste for Taco Bell. The label that was once familiar only to those who traveled to the United States is now a local favorite. Taco Bell Corp. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc, which is also the parent company of Pizza Hut.

Aidan Hay, director of New Business Development, Asia Pacific Regional Office, was in town recently to visit the Taco Bell outlets in the Philippines. He has been in the food and beverage industry for 16 years, working in five-star hotels and quick-service restaurant business.

"Working in five-star hotels and the quick-service restaurant business should be the same," Aidan Hay says. "An emphasis should be made on ensuring great food and excellent service."

He visits the Philippines once every two months to "help the Philippine (Taco Bell) team be successful."

"The key is to get the right locations. We want to be where the customers are," says Hay. "You shouldn’t have to find us. We want to be seen right when you enter the mall."

And, although the food at Taco Bell can be customized to suit the preference of customers (that is, more/less vegetables, salsa, cheese; grilled, etc.,) Aidan Hay says it will not be localized.

"We are going to be true to who we are. We are confident that this brand can work," he adds.

He dispelled the perception that the Border Bowl was a dish made to suit the preference of Filipinos for rice meals. Border Bowl, in fact, was first introduced in the United States. However, the commitment to stay true to the well-loved and established flavors of the Taco Bell brand should pose no problem for Filipinos.

After opening its first restaurant at the ground floor of Gateway Mall beside Araneta Coliseum in October 2004, Taco Bell hasn’t looked back. Currently, there are five Taco Bell outlets, and adherents of the restaurant continue to clamor for more.