Dollar Cravings (or $1 Dollar Cravings) is the

value menu A value menu is a group of menu items at a fast food restaurant that are designed to be the least expensive items available. In the United States, US, the items are usually priced between $0.99 and $2.99. The portion size, and number of items i ...

of American

fast-food restaurant A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast food, fast-food cuisine and has minimal Foodservice#Table service, table service. The food served ...

Taco Bell Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...

. Dollar Cravings was launched August 18, 2014 in reaction to the new

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and

Wendy's Wendy's International, LLC, is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (businessman), Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of D ...

value/

dollar Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...

menus. The current menu contains 13 food items. Dollar Cravings replaced Taco Bell's previous value menu Why Pay More. A Taco Bell spokesperson said few of the food items from the Why Pay More menu will remain in Dollar Cravings. On March 10, 2016, Taco Bell introduced a breakfast value menu.

History

On 26 December 2012, fast food culture site ''Brand Eating'' reported Taco Bell planned to replace their value menu Why Pay More with Dollar Cravings. ''Brand Eating'' speculated Dollar Cravings was "probably a response to rising food and labor costs." The value menu was tested in select locations in

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, and

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Cost

The pricing of the Dollar Cravings food items was largely determined by the competition from other fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and Wendy's. Magazine ''

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'' pointed out the increase in price from 99 ¢ to a dollar. Television channel

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also noted the price increased from the previous value menu Why Pay More which had a three-tiered menu offering food items from 79, 89, or 99 cents.

Promotion

On August 15, 2014, the new menu was advertised via the

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with the target demographic being

millennials Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s a ...

Everlasting Dollars

On August 26, 2014, Taco Bell announced the new contest "Everlasting Dollars" in which 11 participants in 11 American cities could win a lifetime of Taco Bell food. However, '' The Consumerist'' points out the fine print: ''

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'' proved critical of "Everlasting Dollars" stating "In an unflinchingly honest appraisal, Taco Bell caps a 'lifetime' of eating its food at just 46 years. And in that time, you’ll be awarded only $10,000 in gift cards—and this doled out at just $216 per year. While obviously the most humane solution, giving contestants just over $4 to spend on Taco Bell per week is hardly the 'lifetime' of eating Taco Bell you might have imagined. It is as though Taco Bell has promised you a delicious, fulfilling prize, only to totally cheap out on what’s inside."

Reception

Commercial

A writer for ''

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'' said that the new menu "could improve same store sales and once again increase the overall value of owning a Taco Bell chain." Canadian Internet news service ''Digital Journal'' considered the new menu "a strategy to attract the youth, who had cut down quick-service restaurant visits in the past few years due to low-disposable income amid the sluggishly recovering economy."

Food

'' AdWeek''s David Griner tried every food item on the menu. On the subject of the Cheesy Roll-Up, Griner called it "the toast sandwich of Taco Bell cuisine." '' E!''s Julia Hays reviewed the menu favorably stating " 'll take as many Triple Layer Nachos as we can carry." Newspaper '' Investor's Business Daily'' described Dollar Cravings as "cheese-and-carb-heavy." '' Thrillist Media Group''s Lee Breslouer had

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enthusiast "Jim" try every item on the menu. His ranking placed the items in the order of Triple Layer Nachos, Spicy Tostada, Shredded Chicken Mini Quesadilla, Cheese Roll-Up, Spicy Potato Soft Taco, Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito, Beefy Mini Quesadilla, Caramel Apple Empanada, Cinnamon Twists, Beefy Fritos Burrito, and Cinnabon Delights.

References

External links

*{{officialsite, https://www.tacobell.com/food/dollar-cravings Restaurant menus Taco Bell Fast food