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Vegetarians rejoice! Potatoes are coming back to Taco Bell's menu

Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and the Spicy Potato Soft Taco are returning to Taco Bell’s menu.
/ Source: TODAY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many fast food chains attempted to streamline operations by slimming down their menus. Taco Bell faced a great deal of backlash when, aside from other popular items like their popular Mexican Pizza, it eliminated potatoes from their menu — much to the disappointment of vegan and vegetarian customers!

Vegetarian and vegan Taco Bell fans have long used the potato bites, which are certified vegan, to swap out meat on various menu items. Removing potatoes from the menu meant their plant-based options, while still available in items like beans, had instantly been greatly decreased.

The people have been heard, though, and Taco Bell has announced spuds are returning to menus permanently on March 11. This means that vegetarian favorites like Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and the Spicy Potato Soft Taco are back, too.

Courtesy of Taco Bell

The Spicy Potato Soft Taco will be available for $1 and the Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes for $1.49 when they return to the menu at participating U.S. locations.

“The return of our beloved potatoes is just the first step in showing our fans the strong continued commitment to vegetarian we are making this year,” said Liz Matthews, Taco Bell’s global chief food innovation officer, in a statement to media. “We have long been a leader in the vegetarian space, but this year, we have more meatless options in store that vegetarians, veggie-curious and even meat-eaters will love.”

In an effort to appeal to some of those vegans and vegetarians that were turned off by the last menu change, a representative for Taco Bell shared the chain has partnered Beyond Meat to create a new plant-based protein that will be tested in the next year. So more good news is apparently on the way for those missing plant-based options!

Taco Bell was met with backlash after streamlining its menu in July — there was even a petition to bring back Mexican Pizza! Ultimately, it did bring back Nacho Fries and a few other favorites for a limited time — but still no Mexican Pizza. Here's hoping it's the next item to make a comeback.