Taco Bell Expands Menu

Taco Bell is introducing another menu item to its bacon line--bacon pizza.

The Mexican-style food chain, a unit of PepsiCo Inc., is introducing Ultimate Bacon Pizza, featuring a wheat-flour tortilla and a crispy shell, covered with refried beans, pizza sauce, cheese, and bacon. Bacon pizza builds on the bacon line Taco Bell introduced last month: the Bacon Cheeseburger Burrito, the BLT Soft Taco and the Chicken Club Burrito.

Taco Bell said bringing bacon to the menu is meant to appeal to its main customers, 18- to 34-year-olds. Taco Bell has drawn teens and students, mostly males, by offering low prices and filling, high-fat foods. It has lost sales this year as the group favored lower-priced burgers at chains like Wendy’s and Burger King.

Offering a high-fat indulgence food like bacon may be just the thing to bring some customers back, analysts say. “It’s kind of a treat, and they’re picking up on that,” said Ronald Paul, president of Chicago-based consulting firm Technomic Inc.

The latest television commercial to promote the line will feature sports personalities such as ESPN anchor Chris Berman, Buffalo Bill defensive lineman Bruce Smith and football commentator and retired Raider Howie Long.